Live Review: Sleaford Mods @ The Forum

by | Oct 3, 2015

Sleaford Mods @ The Forum

Jason Williamson of Sleaford Mods performing at The Forum London on 2 October 2015 (Simon Reed)

Jason Williamson of Sleaford Mods performing at The Forum London on 2 October 2015 (Simon Reed)

This live music review is brought to you by the character *

Jason Williamson of Sleaford Mods performing at The Forum London on 2 October 2015 (Simon Reed)

Jason Williamson of Sleaford Mods performing at The Forum London on 2 October 2015 (Simon Reed)

In March, my mate Rob Davies saw Sleaford Mods at The Bowery District, Reading: capacity 300, it wasn’t full. In June, I photographed them at KOKO, Camden: capacity 1500, sold out. Tonight, they played The Forum, Kentish Town: capacity 2300, sold out again. To say that Andrew Fearn and Jason Williamson of Sleaford Mods (they’re not mods and they’re not from Sleaford) have had an encouraging 6 months would be something of an understatement. “We sold it out, we sold it out, this pair of c*nts sold it out” barked Williamson during the opening number as recognition of the achievement.

Andrew Fearn of Sleaford Mods performing at The Forum London on 2 October 2015 (Simon Reed)

Andrew Fearn of Sleaford Mods performing at The Forum London on 2 October 2015 (Simon Reed)

And looking around, it’s not hard to see why they are filling ever-expanding venues. It’s an extremely diverse crowd: young, old, middle aged, hipster, banker. I doubt there are many Taylor Swift fans here but aside from that the whole demographic seems to have turned up. Gents outnumber the ladies by a ratio of around 10:1. The Sleaford Mods are probably not ideal first date material, plus I’m guessing that women might be put off by the prospect of being machine-gunned by the ‘C’ word for a solid hour. It’s not a cheap night out, so for obvious reasons there’s also no sign of the abandoned underclass that so much of the material references. I wonder how much that irks the band?

Jason Williamson of Sleaford Mods performing at The Forum London on 2 October 2015 (Simon Reed)

Jason Williamson of Sleaford Mods performing at The Forum London on 2 October 2015 (Simon Reed)

Thankfully, one other thing the material references that there isn’t any of is an undercurrent of violent tension. In fact, the congregation owns a sea of grinning faces and good natured crowd surfing ensues during audience favourites such as Jolly F*cker, Tiswas and Giddy On The Ciggies. The band has been knocking out their brand of post-punk hip-hop since 2007, but their rise in popularity came late and has coincided with a prolific writing period that’s seen three critically acclaimed albums in as many years: 2013’s Austerity Dogs, 2014’s Divide and Exit, and 2015’s Key Markets. Much of the material on the latest record is being played tonight and whilst we’re still being bombarded with profanities, if anybody came here solely to giggle at the four-lettered words, they seriously missed the point. Williamson’s lyrics employ contorted rhymes, humour and word play that I’ve no doubt Ian Dury would doff his cap to were he still alive – and you can’t pay a much bigger compliment than that.

Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn of Sleaford Mods performing at The Forum London on 2 October 2015 (Simon Reed)

Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn of Sleaford Mods performing at The Forum London on 2 October 2015 (Simon Reed)

A Sleaford Mods performance does though serve up a contradictory dynamic. Stage left is Williamson: intimidating; growling; stabbing; all twitching hand actions and light on his toes dance moves. The veins in his neck stand so proud you could hang medals off them. The words are snarled with so much violent intent that he frequently gobs across the photo pit. A king cobra would struggle to spit this much venom. He certainly does give off an air of menace. At one point, somebody in the audience throws a full cup of beer (or maybe it wasn’t beer) at the stage. I wouldn’t have done it. Thankfully is misses. Williamson stared back with fire in his eyes: “We all know who you are”.

Jason Williamson of Sleaford Mods performing at The Forum London on 2 October 2015 (Simon Reed)

Jason Williamson of Sleaford Mods performing at The Forum London on 2 October 2015 (Simon Reed)

Meanwhile, stage right is Andrew Fearn, dressed in baseball cap and ‘Beverly Hills 90210’ tee shirt, in what I can only assume is an ironic nod to the sort of saccharine pop-culture that the whole band rails against. He dances to the tunes but his feet are nailed to the floor. His beer won’t be parted from his left hand and his jeans pocket won’t be parted from his right. The status quo only changes when he needs to advance another song on the laptop or crack open another bottle. But there’s no doubt he’s into the music. His eyes are closed, his head rocks, he sings the lyrics to himself.

Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn of Sleaford Mods performing at The Forum London on 2 October 2015 (Simon Reed)

Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn of Sleaford Mods performing at The Forum London on 2 October 2015 (Simon Reed)

There’s very little interaction between the two, but clearly some affection between them. At one point, Andrew came across the stage to offer Jason a towel with which to wipe himself down: “Sometimes I forget myself and get a bit too wet, so Andrew comes to help me out”.

Jason Williamson of Sleaford Mods performing at The Forum London on 2 October 2015 (Simon Reed)

Jason Williamson of Sleaford Mods performing at The Forum London on 2 October 2015 (Simon Reed)

They play for exactly one hour, but the songs are so short and so fast that they get through a lot of material. They close out with Jobseeker. An Anthem. The crowd goes nuts and more surfing ensues.

Jason Williamson of Sleaford Mods performing at The Forum London on 2 October 2015 (Simon Reed)

Jason Williamson of Sleaford Mods performing at The Forum London on 2 October 2015 (Simon Reed)

Williamson showed his appreciation as only he does: “You’re the biggest audience we’ve ever had. Give yourselves a round of applause. Thanks for coming out and supporting us two c*nts”. And then he walked off. Fearn hung around to suck up the atmosphere and take a few pictures from the stage. It must have been quite a sight.

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000B7DofLVGKB4″ g_name=”Sleaford-Mods” f_show_caption=”t” f_show_slidenum=”t” img_title=”casc” pho_credit=”iptc” f_link=”t” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”t” f_fullscreen=”t” f_show_watermark=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_mtrx=”t” fsvis=”f” width=”600″ height=”450″ f_constrain=”t” bgcolor=”#ffffff” bgtrans=”t” btype=”new” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” crop=”f” twoup=”t” trans=”flip” tbs=”4000″ f_ap=”t” linkdest=”c” f_topbar=”f” f_bbar=”f” f_bbarbig=”” f_smooth=”f” f_up=”f” target=”_self” ]

Photography and Review by Sleaford Mods @ The Forum on 2 October 2015 by Simon Reed. Simon has his own great website here: http://www.musicalpictures.co.uk

 

Skunk Anansie @ Glastonbury Festival 2022 (Kalpesh Patel)

Skunk Anansie Unveil Powerful Visual For Deeply Personal New Single ‘Shame’

British rock legends Skunk Anansie have released a striking new video for their latest single Shame, a raw and emotional track that sees frontwoman Skin dive deep into her own past, confronting complex family dynamics and personal identity with unflinching honesty.

Sabrina Carpenter @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Jordan Curtis Hughes / Alfredo Flores)

An Explosive Sabrina Carpenter Show Keeps Drenched London Warm At BST Hyde Park 2025

“Hey London, how you doing? My name’s Sabrina — what’s your name?”. There is a daft cacophony of replies, that shows...
Matt Cameron of Pearl Jam @ BST Hyde Park 2022 (Simon Reed)

Matt Cameron Departs Pearl Jam After 27 Years Amidst Wave Of Drummer Changes In Rock

After nearly three decades behind the kit, Matt Cameron has announced his departure from Pearl Jam. The legendary drummer, 62, shared the news via social media on 7th July, marking the end of a 27‑year tenure that began in 1998. His departure comes in the wake of the band’s Dark Matter World Tour, which concluded earlier this year.

Sydney Rose @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Sydney Rose Shines In Mid-Afternoon Magic On The Rainbow Stage At BST Hyde Park 2025

While headliner Noah Kahan was preparing to command the Great Oak Stage later in the evening, over on the Rainbow Stage a quieter but equally stirring performance was unfolding under the soft mid-afternoon sun. Georgia-born singer-songwriter Sydney Rose brought her headline tour to a moving finale, wrapping her journey in heartfelt lyrics and gently fierce vocals that captivated a festival crowd seeking intimacy amid the day’s growing energy.

Gigi Perez @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Gigi Perez Captivates London With Raw Emotion And Rising-Star Power At BST Hyde Park 2025

At just 25 years old, Gigi Perez has already carved out a reputation as one of indie-pop’s most compelling new voices — and her late afternoon set on the Great Oak Stage at BST Hyde Park proved exactly why. Supporting headliner Noah Kahan and following a string of breakout moments this year, the Hackensack, New Jersey native delivered a deeply affecting performance filled with vulnerability, power, and soaring vocals

Paris Paloma @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Paris Paloma Brings Barefoot Magic To The Rainbow Stage At BST Hyde Park 2025

In a festival rich with soaring choruses and star power, it was Paris Paloma’s barefoot grace and gothic romanticism that carved out one of the day’s most mesmerising sets. Taking to The Rainbow Stage on a golden midsummer afternoon, the Derbyshire singer-songwriter captivated her growing legion of fans with an intimate, emotionally charged performance that felt part séance, part storybook.

FINNEAS @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

FINNEAS Warms Up London With Heart And Humour Before Noah Kahan’s Headline Set At BST Hyde Park 2025

It’s not every day that a support slot feels like a moment of main event magic, but FINNEAS — the GRAMMY®-winning songwriter, producer, and solo artist — brought just that to the Great Oak Stage at BST Hyde Park on Friday. Performing ahead of headliner Noah Kahan and main support Gracie Abrams, the 27-year-old delivered a slick, emotionally charged set that balanced heartfelt sincerity with tongue-in-cheek charm.

Noah Kahan @ BST Hyde Park 2025 (Kalpesh Patel)

Northern Attitude In London: Noah Kahan, Gracie Abrams & Friends Light Up BST Hyde Park 2025

It was, as the name requires, the perfect summer's day for British Summer Time Hyde Park on Friday. The sun was...

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing