Gig Review: The Slackers at Esquires, Bedford 4/10/19

Something I don't do enough is go to local shows. I go to loads of DIY gigs in London but I very rarely go to shows in Bedford, where I live. This is partly because there aren't often gigs in Bedford that really cola my coke but also because most of my gig going pals are based in London and it's nice to see them. It took me 42 gigs and until October before I managed to get to a Bedford gig this year but what a line up it was. New York ska legends The Slackers were making their first ever appearance in Bedford and were joined (as they would be for the duration of the tour) by my favourite UK ska punk band, Call Me Malcolm.

We arrived at Esquires not long before the bands started and it was lovely to see plenty of people gathering early to see all the bands. For some reason there were no local supports on the evening’s bill so it was up to Call Me Malcolm to get the crowd warmed up. Obviously the five piece were more than up for the task. I wasn't sure how many people in the crowd were aware of the band before the gig began but they quickly won the crowd over with a typically energetic performance. Playing a set comprised mostly of songs from their classic album I Was Broken When You Got here as well as old favourites Does My Offbeat Look Big In This and I Sold My Cat, I couldn't help but sing along and dance from start to finish – even to the instrumental track F.T.I.M (I sang along to the brass parts). I'm now very used to seeing Malcolm play to an adoring crowd at the New Cross Inn so it was an absolutely pleasure to watch them in different surroundings winning over a new crowd. The sing-along at the end of All My Nameless Friends was as special as ever. Call Me Malcolm aim to spread love and empathy wherever they go, they certainly did this at Esquires and Esquires gave them plenty of love back.

After the excitement of the Call Me Malcolm set, it was now time for The Slackers. The band have been making frequent trips to the UK in their nearly thirty year career but this was their first ever time in Bedford. The good folks of the town were super appreciative that they had finally made it. A crowd of very enthusiastic people gathered at the front of the room began to dance and sing as soon as the six piece began to play. As you would imagine from a band that have been going as long as the Slackers, they were incredibly tight. I'll hate myself for saying this when this review is posted but you could say that there was nothing slack about them. Also, having been a band for such a long long time, The Slackers have a lot of songs to choose from when compiling their set list. I won't even try and name them because I will miss something out but it was a very crowd pleasing set. Playing a mixture of ska, rocksteady and reggae it was a joyous performance. It was great to see the band playing with such big smiles on their faces, clearly enjoying the enthusiasm for them that the crowd showed. Highlights of the performance came from vocalist and organist Vic Ruggiero's dry humour between songs and trombone player Glen Pine's unmatched charisma – he connects so well with the crowd. This was the first stop on a long UK and European tour for The Slackers so there's a chance they were only really warming up here, anyone who sees them later on in the tour is certainly going to be in for a treat.

This was a fantastic way to spend a Friday night in Bedford. Great atmosphere, friendly faces, big smiles and great music.

This gig review was written by Colin Clark. Photos by Emma Prew.