Reggae-punk rockers The Skints have managed to completely triumph their field. Their sound captures the London punk scene perfectly, whilst bringing a tropical feel-good reggae vibe, which spread some love around a sold out Concorde 2. Tonight’s show is sweaty, crammed but, most of all, showcased some of the best live music on offer today.
Opening tonight are easily the single best support artist I’ve ever seen. Brooklyn-based four-piece, New Kingston, are a reggae group who spread nothing but messages of love, harmony and acceptance. The instrumentals are beautiful and layer over one another sublimely, the keys acting as a blanket of pulsing warmth whilst the classic piercing reggae-style guitar rings loud and true. New Kingston have definitely made themselves one of the best new era reggae bands around. Seeing them live you can notice a definite spark between them all because they are, in fact, a family band. It is incredibly humbling to see a father and three sons perform alongside one another and gives out an immensely large message of love. New Kingston embody everything that live music is about and absolutely stole the show this evening, they are definitely a band I urge everyone to check out and I’m sure this is not the last we will be hearing of them.
If New Kingston’s New York-style reggae wasn’t enough, this packed crowd are now in for a treat of pure homegrown London material. The Skints enter a foliage-covered stage and open with ‘Mindless’ and an early appearance of fan favourite ‘Rat-at-at’, the crowd instantly burst into colour and see their arms flying and screaming lyrics back at the group. The tracks hold a definite sense of traditional warming reggae, however, the addition of rapping from multi-instrumentalist Marcia Richards and guitarist Joshua Waters Rudge supply a distinct hash realness to the sound, which has made The Skints one of the best leading hybrid bands around today.
As the set gets well underway, Josh asks “Who’s ready to have a fucking good time?!” as he bounds across the stage, to which the room respond with yet another equally deafening chant. The entire set features no breathing room and the colossal ‘This Town’ sends yet another torrent of electricity through the room. The driving basslines behind every Skints track are definitely where that magic happens and bassist Jonathan Doyle is one of the best in his field, injecting the groove aspect into the evening whilst still being unconventionally experimental in his choice of riffs.
Marcia’s talents are also unquestioned. Tonight sees her play a plethora of instruments from the sax, to the flute, to a well-placed melodica, each being played with a stunning level of dexterity and passion whilst not dropping a single note. Her vocals are in no way lesser either and, when combined with the surrounding harmonies, make for something very special. ‘The Cost Of Living Is Killing Me’ is just one key example of Marcia providing the delicacies behind the music, adding a sense of mystery and intrigue whilst Joshua’s far harsher tones act as the punky punch to the face which keeps the music feeling fresh, real and desirable, the end result being truly monumental.
The Skints have played yet another fantastic show this evening and have more than demonstrated why they are one of the most talked about DIY bands around. Their hybrid sound is truly something that I feel will appeal to the masses and they definitely offer something for everyone, no matter your musical preferences. Similarly, New Kingston are not a band to merely overlook, I’m sure that when they make their inevitable return to Brighton, they’ll be able to equally sell out the Concorde 2, as this is a talent that is simply too good to not be picked up by the mainstream. It is nights like tonight which show just what music is all about: love, harmony and a feel good groove that you never want to see end, what more could a reviewer ask for?!
Ben Walker
Website: theskints.co.uk
Facebook: facebook.com/theskints
Twitter: twitter.com/theskints