I think that the three year gap between seeing Random Hand in January 2019 and January 2022 is the longest time I’ve ever gone without seeing them. Even when they had their break, it seemed a shorter time than that. I guess that’s what a global pandemic will do. I believe the original plan for this gig was for it to be in the summer of 2020 but this had to be postponed for the reasons mentioned in the previous sentence. Since the original gig was announced, there had been date changes, venue changes and line-up changes but it was finally here and I couldn’t wait.
Unfortunately we arrived at The Islington Academy a little late due to work and the early start so only managed to catch the last three songs from
Babar Luck And The East End Trinity. You could feel the positive vibes that Babar and his crew always bring though, so I was pleased we were able to catch a bit of their set.
Up next were
Riskee & The Ridicule. I believe the last time I saw them was also supporting Random Hand. Since then they have added Maz, the former saxophone player in Ghouls to their ranks to play bass guitar. Looking around the crowd, it very much seemed as if a good chunk of people had come out specifically to see Riskee and they must have been delighted with the show the band put on. The band started with (a) Kaboom! and didn’t slow down from then on. There was a lot of hype around the band before the world stopped and even with the break it appears that their momentum keeps on rolling. The band played a tight set and even with some issues with the sound – I think there was a problem with a drum mic – the band soldiered on and played an entertaining set.
Following Riskee were the penultimate act of the night,
The Filaments. Last seen in London, headlining the opening night of Till The Fest in October, I was just as excited to see them again. I wasn’t the only one because as soon as the band began their set Islington went off. On this occasion, the band were playing as a seven piece with a three part brass section which is not something I’ve seen The Filaments do for years. Having that many people on the stage added to the energy that The Filaments omit. Musically, the band flick effortlessly between ferocious hardcore punk and barroom singalongs with ease and have the crowd in the palm of their hands throughout the set. Tearing through their set with minimal time between songs meant that they manage to squeeze plenty of tracks into the set but I was still wanting more when they finished. Half hour sets aren’t long enough for The Filaments! They have too many classic songs that I want to hear. They seem to have already announced a fair amount of gigs this year so hopefully it won’t be too long before seeing them again.
The night was flying by, it was soon time for
Random Hand and there was a feeling of anticipation filling the venue. The band would be playing their third album, Seething Is Believing, from start to finish during the set to celebrate its tenth (or eleventh because of postponements) anniversary which, as luck would have it, is my favourite album the band have released. Though I have to say it’s a close run thing as they only release brilliant albums. To nobody’s surprise the crowd went for it as soon as the band began set/album opener Tales Of Intervention and it only got rowdier as the set progressed. I feel like there’s always a bit of a risk with album shows that a couple of the deeper cuts on the album might fall flat on the more casual fan but this was not the case on this occasion. Listening to the album live really made me appreciate the track ordering on the album. How many bands have songs of the calibre of Not A Number, Three From Six, Floating Ghosts and Bones following each other – amazing work. Like I mentioned in the introduction, it had been three years since I last saw Random Hand but this felt a reunion with an old friend where you just fall back into friendship like you’ve never been apart and it felt wonderful. Robin remains one of the best frontmen in punk rock, an extremely watchable performer and very funny whilst interacting with the crowd between songs. There are also a few moments where he takes the time to give thanks to the other bands and the venue, and you can see how genuinely happy the band are to be able to be doing gigs again. After completing Seething Is Believing, the band dipped into their discography to play an encore including classics such as Scum Triumphant, Play Some Ska, Anthropology and Anger Management to ensure the crowd went home even happier. What an absolutely blinding set and I can’t wait to see them again at Manchester Punk Festival in April… Is it April yet?
Random Hand once again show why they are one of the most highly respected bands to emerge from the UK’s DIY punk scene ever. I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve seen them over the years – it’s easily in double figures now – and they never, ever disappoint. Being able to see them once again after so long was a cathartic experience. Legends.
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