Darkness descends upon Tunbridge Wells Forum. As the lights flicker across the stage and each letter cuts through the black, eventually forming one word, the crowd erupts. It’s a palpable excitement, the kind that can only come from a hometown show. Two figures take to the stage – Isaac Holman and Laurie Vincent; aka Slaves. And these are their people.
This venue is hallowed ground for them. It’s where they played some of their first shows and even recorded their debut EP, ‘Sugar Coated Bitter Truth’, which is the cause of tonight’s celebration – its fifth anniversary. Returning to play the EP in its entirety, bonus tracks and all, they’re joined by a lucky hundred or so fans who managed to snag tickets to this last minute announcement – and not a single body is stationary. This celebration of Slaves’ beginnings proves to be one for the lads’ history books.
The eleven tracks that make up ‘Sugar Coated…’ find themselves brought back to life with a ferocity like never before, with the five years since its birth having seen the duo achieve more than they ever thought possible. Even the stories feel fabled at this point; ‘Girl Fight’ has an introduction almost quadruple its brief fifteen second runtime, while absolute corker ‘Debbie, Where’s Your Car?’ sees its tale of Big Foot scares and late night wanderings feel all the more striking as the places these songs were influenced by are right outside the venue door.
Barrelling through the EP, they also treat the thirsty crowd to a few newer cuts; ‘Fuck The Hi Hat’ is quickly becoming a staple in their set, while the final one-two of ‘Spit It Out’ and ‘The Hunter’ turn the venue from a busy sweat box into a downright anarchic affair. As the last note rings out, and the ‘Slaves’ lights turn off, the people of Royal Tunbridge Wells pour back out onto their now immortalised streets, having spent the evening with their hometown heroes.