www.indexmagazine.co.uk
DYNAMIC DUO
Life just got a whole lot more interesting for
Slaves after their debut album Are You Satisfi ed? gained a coveted Mercury award nomination. INDEX catches up with the Tunbridge Wells band
Words Neill Barston
ARTS & CULTURE / BAND REVIEW
T
he past 12 months have proved a frenetic whirl for Slaves’ Laurie Vincent and Isaac Holman, who can scarcely believe the furore
their music has created. From producing an uncompromising debut album lodging into the top 10 charts, to taking Glastonbury by storm this summer, their rise has served up plenty of memories that will no doubt linger long in the memory. It’s been a rollercoaster ride for the Kent duo, whose raw punk sound has earned comparisons with original 1970s pioneers such as the Sex Pistols, and has seen them take justifi able delight in proving underdogs can succeed.
They’ve clearly come an awful long way
since recording their fl edgling self-released single at one of their original haunts, The Forum in Tunbridge Wells, three years ago. Their ascendency has been underlined by signing to John Lydon’s former record label, Virgin, which has propelled them towards stardom with a commendable Mercury award nomination. “We didn’t expect that we’d ever get
this far. The whole thing is surreal, but I love it,” enthuses guitarist Laurie, who says there’s a pretty rapid learning curve in coming to terms with life in the limelight. As you might expect with any angst-
ridden act, they’ve not been without their share of controversy. This has most notably centred on the band’s provocative choice of name, which they have dismissed criticism of in stating it was merely a moniker that had intrigued them. It seems their no-nonsense style
stemmed from relatively regular upbringings in Kent, where they have steadily built a fan-base through honing their sound on the live scene across the county. As Laurie, who grew up in Maidstone,
reveals, the pair had known each other as acquaintances and played in different bands for several years before teaming up. “When I was a kid, playing guitar just seemed like the coolest thing you could do. I just wanted to play really loud on a big stage. I love acoustic music too, but I am not sure you get the same kind of buzz from it. “We played our fi rst gig as Slaves at the
Cherry Tree in Canterbury. The fact we are a duo was just down to not being able to fi nd like-minded individuals, which is a pretty hard thing to do in Kent.
“I think our sound has a raw element to it as it doesn’t have lots of layers of production, it’s from the heart,” says the 22-year-old of their infectious music, which he is understandably reluctant to pigeonhole as merely punk.
While there’s an undeniable tone of youthful rebellion to their music, it is shot through with humour on album tracks such as Cheer up London, which prove they have a healthy sense of perspective.
Though singer and drummer Isaac is
presently in Southborough, it seems the amiable guitarist is enjoying exchanging the Garden of England for London life. “I’m up in New Cross now, though I do get back for my tattoos sometimes to Kent.” There will be a further chance for Kent fans to help celebrate the duo’s success with their Tunbridge Wells gig, which is set to be the mother of all Christmas parties. Laurie adds: “I’d love to play The
Forum in Tunbridge Wells again, which is a wicked venue as it is where we started out recording our fi rst EP – but we didn’t want to play to 200 people – we wanted 1,000 ‘Kentheads’ there which is why we’ve pushed for the bigger venue.” • Slaves play the Assembly Hall Theatre on 18th December. Tickets £13 from the box offi ce on 01892 530613.
The INDEX magazine
www.indexmagazine.co.uk 99
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