Interview with... Slaves

The NME Awards creep up on you each year and you have to fumble to think of deserved winners of the glamorous 'middle finger' award. Unlike some of the winners, which you won't remember in years to come, the NME Awards Show provides some of the finest new talents around to tour the UK around the month of February.

Slaves backstage before their gig in Norwich last year (photo by Cal Beasley).

Traditionally including four acts, although tonight The Amazing Snakeheads have pulled out, the first slot is sacred and held by the likes of Coldplay, Florence and the Machine and the Kaiser Chiefs. This year it's the turn of Slaves to kick off the 2015 NME Awards Tour at The Leadmill in Sheffield, but first they must decipher which is the best flavour of Monster Munch and after settling on pickled onion, they sit down for a chat. Listen to what they had to say through stuffed mouthfuls of stinkin' crisps.

Interview by Josh Shreeve (@JJShreeve)

Live Review... Slaves @ The Leadmill, February 19th

You’ve got to give it to Slaves. Not only have they managed to make it to the first night of the tour, when other band on the bill, The Amazing Snakeheads have just dropped out, but they’ve come prepared. They claim they don’t have pre-show plans but armed with a fridge full of ham sandwiches and clenching packets of monster munch, they’re ready for war. 

A giant mantaray lurks behind Slaves as they open the NME Awards Tour 2015.

It’s down to them to get the NME Awards Tour 2015 kicked off with ‘White Knuckle Ride’, the catalyst for the first spews of beer. In between erratic marching, vocalist and stand alone drummer, Isaac Holman, asks the audience what their favourite type of biscuit is but there’s little time to answer as he scrunches his face up once more and batters the skins whilst Laurie Vincent shouts, ‘anyone for a garibaldi?’

Not taking themselves too seriously could be the key to success. Holman is shy yet mischievous off stage, but once in front of a crowd it’s his chance to confront everything that’s ever pissed him off, including ‘Debbie’ in ‘Where’s Your Car Debbie?’, which he says is of a story of searching for her car with a Sasquatch in hot pursuit. When joined in by Vincent’s vocals, there’s shards of The Clash flying about, but the duo claim they’re not trying to sound like anyone, although not even the most acute hearing can draw comparisons to anything from Sex Pistols punk to American garage rock. 

The street poetry tales continue from a shirtless Holman, who turns the ‘Yorkshire’ chants into ‘Feed The Mantaray’ when a roadie joins them onstage dressed as a giant mantaray. It’s all of a sudden turned very Shooting Stars as if Vic Reeves is shredding guitar as Bob Mortimer spits ludicrous venom. The light hearted story telling turns ferocious and politically charged in ‘The Hunter’, as opening lines, ‘the people are freezing and the water is warm, and the ice caps are melting what will happen when they’re gone?’ gather momentum and there’s a riot building in front of Vincent who peers through the mist. Moments later Holman finds himself amongst this mass as he leaps in during the breakdown of ‘Hey’, using them as a human towel to dry every beed of sweat he’s exuded over a short but savage set.

(@JJShreeve)

Slaves reveal video for 'The Hunter'

Slaves have released the video for their highly rated new track, 'The Hunter'.

The duo are making a stir having been mentioned in BBC's Sounds of 2015 and are about to hit the road with Palma Violets, Fat White Family and The Amazing Snakeheads.

You can buy tickets for the tour here and watch the aggressively vibrant video for 'The Hunter' below.

These New Puritans announce London headline show

The Essex band is back, and they're playing a small show at Hackney's OSLO venue as a part of NME's Awards shows which sees NME taking over venues all over London for February.

A full list of NME shows are below.

NME Live shows in February
La Roux, KOKO (3)
The Districts, 100 Club (3)
Happyness, Birthdays (4)
Dolomite Minor vs. Baby Strange, Electrowerkz (5)
Childhood, XOYO (5)
Kele, Islington Assembly Hall (6)
Telegram, Hoxton Bar & Kitchen (7)
Peace, Heaven (9) SOLD OUT
Honeyblood, Oslo (11)
Drenge (with The Bohicas and Menace Beach), Boston Dome (12)
The Cribs, Electric Ballroom (12) SOLD OUT
These New Puritans, Oslo (13)
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Village Underground (16)
Together Pangea, Birthdays (17)
Twin Peaks, 100 Club (17)
Darlia, The Garage (17)
Interpol, The Forum (17)
Alabama Shakes, Islington Assembly Hall (19)
DFA 1975, Brixton O2 Academy (25)

Slaves reveal new track, 'The Hunter' and announce NME Awards Tour 2015 shows

Slaves have unveiled a new song, 'The Hunter', which has been tipped as one of Zane Lowe's 'Hottest Records In The World'.

The duo, who have recently been on tour with Jamie T, expect to have an album out in the new year and are creating quite a stir amongst the heavier indie bands. The snarling vocals and bullish bass sound like a new mould of The Clash carved with a razor. 

It has also just been revealed that Slaves will take part in The NME Awards Tour early next year along with The Amazing Snakeheads, Fat White Family, and headliners, Palma Violets.

Listen to 'The Hunter' below:

By Josh Shreeve (@JJShreeve)

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