After years of hectic touring, it’s fair to say Manchester’s Sonic Boom Six have become one of the hardest working bands on the UK scene. Following a summer which saw them take main stage slots at the Reading and Leeds festivals, they have returned to the club circuit with their Boom or Bust tour, joined by label mates The Skints.
East London outfit, The Skints are a band with a lot of potential. Blending punk, hip hop and dub influences with a strong reggae groove, they instantly manage to get the majority of the crowd moving. Lead by multi-talented front woman Marcia Richards, who as well as vocals, adds flute, saxophone, melodica and organ into the mix, their chilled out vibe is perhaps the perfect precursor to Sonic Boom's eclectic sound. With their first album and a headline tour coming in November, The Skints definitely seem to have won themselves a lot of new fans with the strength of their performance.
Sonic Boom Six burst onto the stage, and shake up anybody who was still trapped in the relaxed groove left by The Skints. Their unique brand of hip hop influenced ska/punk kick starting the pit, and set opener The Concrete We’re Trapped Within showing anyone in the crowd who isn’t familiar with their sound, exactly what they can expect from the rest of the set.
The band's reputation is built on its live show, and years of arduous touring have clearly paid off for them. Their onstage energy is second to none, but their sound still remains clear and tight. The chemistry between the band is fantastic, and flame haired front woman Laila K offers the crowd as much chance to participate as possible. They play a varied set, including older material, as well as songs from latest album City of Thieves, allowing everyone to grasp the full spectrum of their sound.
This tour however does have a sad note, as it represents founder member, guitarist and vocalist Ben Child's last with the band. The rest of the band leave the stage for Ben and Laila to perform an unaccompanied version of Floating Away, which gains warm appreciation from everyone in the audience.
Despite the event only being modestly attended, the band still throws absolutely everything into the set, making sure that those who did attend have nothing but positive things to say about the evening. And with a European tour with The Levellers and a US tour with Big D & The Kids Table on the horizon, plus having the freedom of their own record label rebel Alliance Recordings, things are looking very bright for Sonic Boom Six, definitely a band to watch.
www.sonicboomsix.co.uk
www.myspace.com/sonicboomsix
www.rebelalliancerecordings.com
Words: Adam Nash
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