With parking in Coventry proving to be something of an endurance test we only catch the end of bouncy openers Last Hounds’ set. The little we see has boundless punkish energy and enthusiasm, and the crowd clearly dig it, so we suggest the curious head here to check out what the band have to offer.
Ballsdeep should need little introduction on these pages. The reckless titans, who so gleefully rearranged the internal organs of the HRH Metal crowd, remain a precision-driven unit whose ferocious grooves recall the likes of Lamb of God and Pantera in their pomp. Despite being the heaviest band on the bill by a country mile, Ballsdeep know how to work a crowd and their brief slot is both neck-snappingly heavy and fiercely entertaining. Tracks like spit (delivered with all the subtlety and nuance of a runaway train loaded with dynamite), give vocalist Rich Beresford a chance to unleash hell, his unhinged roar perfectly set against Paul Priestly’s earth-shaking riffs. Meanwhile, the last drop, a surprisingly vivid and (whisper it) melodic tale of alcohol addiction brings the set to a satisfying close with a substantial portion of the crowd cheering wildly. That Ballsdeep aren’t already huge can only be attributed to a global conspiracy perpetrated by governments afraid of seeing the band’s distinctly un-pc name plastered every where they go, because they are fucking fantastic. With the band balls deep in the crowd, the Empire Coventry show is surely just another step towards world domination.
When it comes to headliners, Skindred don’t bring the party, they are the party and, from the second they take the stage to the sound of the Imperial March, the audience is eating out of the palms of their hands. New album big tings may be a polished hard rock belter, but live the tracks take on a whole new life – the guitars grittier, the vocals bigger and the drums explosive. At the heart of it all is Benji – arch showman comprising one-part Elton John, one-part Lemmy and one-part P. T. Barnum.
Always urging the crowd to greater feats of energetic enthusiasm, Benji is the soul of Skindred and the obvious joy that radiates from him during each and every song is impossible to ignore. It’s almost more than the groaning Empire can stand, and as punters stream away from the heaving dance floor towards the relative safety of the bar, more push forward, anxious to fill the void. Playing a crowd-pleasing mix of new and old material, the band open with big tings’ crushing title track, eliciting a singalong from the outset despite it being relatively new. It’s an inspired start, which does much to demonstrate the strength of the new material. However, the classics aren’t far behind. Now an impressive 16 years old (and still sounding as fresh as the day it was released), Babylon remains a beloved album and the crowd are treated to two cuts back-to-back selecter and a monumental pressure, the latter causing the mosh-pit to almost double in size as the band cheekily interpolate back in black.
With the Empire redolent with the scent of sweat and spilled beer, Skindred are in utter command of the carnage on the dance floor. Tracks like recent single machine are custom built for this sort of environment, whilst the haunting saying it now (re-recorded for big tings) is a rare emotional moment that showcases a more sensitive side to the band amidst all the popular culture references and explosive singalongs. When Kill the power interpolates a huge slab of out of space, it feels entirely organic to the huge party vibe the band engender, whilst destroy the dancefloor and nobody are frantic slabs of ragga-metal delivered by a band who have somehow achieved the twin feats of being entirely unique and entirely huge at the same time.
Ultimately, the crossover appeal of Skindred comes down to one thing – the band are simple, unashamed fun. Like the bands they so obviously adore, from Queen to AC/DC, Skindred understand the value of a great melody combined with larger-than-life personalities (note this does not mean arrogant – few bands appeal so directly to their audience as Skindred) and when you look across the heaving dancefloor of the Empire, with half the audience in Halloween fancy dress, you realise that Skindred truly have turned their show into one giant, beer-soaked party where everyone’s welcome and everyone’s included. With the tour crossing the UK and heading off into Europe, Skindred have a busy few months ahead of them, but such is their infectious energy that you get the feeling they wouldn’t have it any other way – as for the Empire, Coventry, well it’s still standing… just.
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