REVIEW: Slaves, O2 Academy, Newcastle

By The Newsroom
Published 18th Nov 2016, 10:05 BST
Updated 21st Nov 2016, 12:27 BST
Slaves' Laurie Vincent struts his stuff at the O2 Academy. Pic: Gary Welford.Slaves' Laurie Vincent struts his stuff at the O2 Academy. Pic: Gary Welford.
Slaves' Laurie Vincent struts his stuff at the O2 Academy. Pic: Gary Welford.
Take a cursory look at the charts, and you'd be forgiven for thinking today's youth gorge on an exclusive diet of Drake, Little Mix and Taylor Swift.

It's true that mainstream rock has been in decline for the best part of a decade, yet the masses who filled Newcastle's O2 Academy last night proved that demand remains not only for guitars, but also that for raw, raucous punk spirit.

It's not entirely clear why Slaves have become poster boys for this new generation.

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Isaac Holman of Slaves in action at the O2 Academy in Newcastle. Pic: Gary Welford.Isaac Holman of Slaves in action at the O2 Academy in Newcastle. Pic: Gary Welford.
Isaac Holman of Slaves in action at the O2 Academy in Newcastle. Pic: Gary Welford.

Sure, being on a major label can't have done them any harm, but that alone doesn't account for healthy record sales or near sold-out UK tours. Perhaps they're simply in the right place at the right time.

Duos are very much in vogue, singing drummers are a growing trend, and with the rise of Royal Blood, the same can be said for bass and drum combos.

That, of course, is before you even consider the energy and commitment of their performances, and for all the other factors it's that which got tonight's crowd jumping.