Review – Sleaford Mods w/ Big Special & Emily Breeze, o2 Academy, Bristol, November 30th

Nottingham duo, Sleaford Mods, are about to play their biggest headline show to date at London’s 10,000 capacity Alexandra Palace. Before they do, they are on a run of shows across the UK and Europe including a stop at a sold out Bristol O2 Academy. They seem to stop off here every two years or so and, tonight, frontman Jason Williamson tells the crowd that “Bristol is always good”. Since they were last in this venue – almost exactly 2 years ago – they have scored their biggest album to date with 2023’s ‘UK Grim’ charting at Number 3 and found themselves in the centre of a social media storm following a viral video appearing to show them cutting a gig short in Madrid after a Palestinian flag was thrown onto the stage.

Before they take to the stage, the crowd are treated to two impressive support slots from Bristol’s Emily Breeze and Birmingham’s Big Special; both draw sizeable crowds of enthusiastic and engaged early arrivals. With Big Special there is definitely a sense of a band on the brink of the big time; the punk duo play with a confidence of a band who have been selling out venues this size on their own for years. It’s loud, exciting and clearly influenced by tonight’s headliners making them the perfect opening band.

Sleaford take to the stage bang on time and immediately rip into the latest album’s title track. The sound mix is instantly impressive – Andrew Fearn’s beats sound colossal and yet do not drown out Williamson’s scintillating lyrics delivered with the urgency of an artist just getting started. The political and social commentary we have come to expect from the band are left to the songs with very little in the way of commentary in-between. They charge through 25 songs over 90 minutes, barely pausing for breath.

Almost half of the set comes from the latest record and its follow-up EP, ‘More UK GRIM’. Sonically, there’s more in common with The Prodigy or Leftfield than Idles or Fontaines DC as the post-punk energy and rage is coupled with dance or hip-hop influenced tracks. There will still be traditional punk fans who cannot fathom the idea of music like this being delivered without a live band but the simplicity of Sleaford’s setup – a laptop and a mic – allows the focus to be on the songs in their intended form. There’s still plenty to see as Fearn spins about the stage like an aerobic instructor oblivious to the 1600 faces staring back at him and Williamson struts back and forth in the manner of a possessed rooster.

Williamson gives credit to the female vocalists featured on Force 10 from Navarone (Dry Cleaning’s Florence Shaw), Mork n Mindy (Bristol-based Billy Nomates) and Nudge It (Amyl & the Sniffers’ Amy Talor) after their original vocals are played out. There’s a well-received cover of Pet Shop Boys’ West End Girls which the band recorded for the homeless charity, Shelter, who are also collecting donations at the band’s request tonight.

Three older fan-favourites close out the set – Tied Up in Nottz, Jobseeker and Tweet Tweet Tweet – and the bursting-at-the-seams venue dances as if it’s the weekend and they are a much younger audience than they really are.

There’s no reference to that viral video but the pair deliver an undeniably compelling, passionate and absorbing show.

Written by Ryan Simmonds

Photos by Craig J Simmonds Media