Midweek apathy, a relentless downpour and the scourge of lingering pandemic panic weren't nearly enough to dampen the spirits at Sleaford Mods' debut Brisbane appearance on Thursday night (12 March).
The English duo, touring Australia for the first time since their 2007 inception, left nothing in the tank after what must be one of the most brutal, hard-hitting, entertaining and darkly funny performances of recent times in these parts.Speaking of entertaining and funny, Eamon and Josh from Sunshine Coast slackers The Chats provide a solid support slot – even though they do almost nothing of worth other than hit 'play' on a playlist, crack a few tins and sit in front of quizzical audience grinning from ear to ear. The award for the most laidback DJ set of all time has just been given.
For Sleaford Mods' Andrew Fearn and Jason Williamson, not much, it seems, is laidback, although they're not above taking the piss out of themselves with as much venom as they attack the ruling classes, austerity politics and pop culture.
Opening with 'The Committee', 'McFlurry' and 'Fizzy', Fearn nods and bops behind his laptop that teeters on a battered, old stool, while Williamson vents spleen, sends spittle sprays for seemingly impossible distances, and contorts his body in tune with the tunes while flitting between ranting, rapping and preaching – all liberally sprinkled with a plethora of c-bombs and truth bombs in equal measure.
It's the no-bullsh.t nature of the duo's act, full spectrum of emotions witnessed onstage, badass beats pumped forth by Fearn's laptop, and utterly acerbic and absorbing vocal and physical performances by Williamson that makes a Sleaford Mods gig a truly unique and necessary experience in 2020.
Through 'Kebab Spider', 'TCR', 'Reef Of Grief' and 'Jobseeker', the pace doesn't let up, and the diverse Triffid audience laps it up from beginning to end.
Williamson's lyrics and mannerisms provide many of the highlights, and while Sleaford Mods may be too riddled with complexities and contradictions to be the heroes we need in 2020, anything that gets Brisbane dancing on a cold and rainy Thursday evening is worth the price of a ticket alone. Ten out of ten: should visit again.
