“We’ve got some lovely sexy, sweaty boys down the front here tonight,” Slaves front man Isaac Holman shouts as he grips on to the temporary barrier set up at Cambridge venue, The Portland Arms. After beginning their set with album title track ‘Are You Satisfied?’ the crowd are not given one chance to cool off in between heavy moshes – but it doesn’t seem as if anyone would even want to, anyway. The audience knew what they were in for with a night out with Slaves in a 200 capacity venue, and no one seems to be disappointed.
After their debut album being released only earlier this month, the duo manages to incorporate many of their new songs and singles from Are You Satisfied? and an appearance of one from their older EP, Sugar Coated Bitter Truth, with equal amounts of enthusiasm and energy. Enthusiasm and energy are two things this band have in excess and seem to pass on to every audience member. As pointed out so well by one of the support bands Horse Party, Slaves have become the embodiment of self-belief with an “you can do whatever the fuck you want so just go and do it” attitude that, as an audience member, you can’t help but embrace as you throw yourself into a mosh pit.
Of course, like many of Slaves’ gigs, it would not be complete without the appearance of a special someone. The Mantaray. Isaac focuses the crowd’s attention to the back on the venue to request that they bring forward the man dressed in the giant oceanic costume by crowd surfing him over their heads and onto the stage which obviously, they do so with extreme pleasure as he tells them, “come on, we can’t start the song without him!” After making his way on to the stage, Isaac and Laurie launch into ‘Feed The Mantaray’ and the entire venue is jumping.
By the time the Mantaray is hauled back over the crowd, Slaves are down to their last few songs after causing teenage eruptions from huge tunes like ‘Cheer Up London’, ‘Where’s Your Car Debbie?’ and ‘Sockets’ amongst others. They start up ‘Sugar Coated Bitter Truth’ followed by ‘The Hunter’ and there are only a handful of boys with their t-shirts still on, every single person is drenched in their own and others’ sweat, and any girl who enjoys not being bald has wet hair tied up in some haphazard way whilst everyone is being pushed to the side as a giant mosh pit is brewing, waiting for Isaac to yell “you keep it / we don’t want it!”
During the closer ‘Hey’, Laurie makes his way onto the ceiling of The Portland Arms and a giant piece of rectangular upholstery is ripped off and passed through the crowd to an unhappy security guard as the guitarist is swung and held above sweaty heads by sweaty hands.
Slaves leave the Cambridge venue three things: exhausted, perspiring and very very satisfied.
Words by Jane Taylor