Gig Review: Drones Final Gig at The Lexington, London 7/5/22

So, Drones have split up after twelve years. During their time together they became one of the most well loved and respected DIY bands in the UK punk scene. Despite some line-up changes throughout the years, the band only ever seemed to go from strength to strength and got to bow out at the absolute top of their game. The band announced that they were splitting up at the beginning of the year and that their final two shows would be at Manchester Punk Festival and one final headliner at The Lexington in North London. We were fortunate enough to be able to attend their Lexington show which featured support from label pals Burnt Tapes and newcomers Cult Revival.

First up were Kent’s Cult Revival. The five-piece only formed in 2021 and had, so far, only played one gig together. I thought it was really cool for Drones to pick such a new band for their last show. In a way, the crowd could replace some departing heroes with some new ones. Not knowing much about Cult Revival I was intrigued to see what their sound was. Unfortunately, it took a couple of songs to really get a feel for them as the sound was not as good as it could have been. The band played a fresh and interesting sounding emo style with elements of alternative rock thrown in that I’ve not heard a lot of recently. The use of two singers, one with cleaner vocals and one with a big scream, was a nice contrast and the band do seem to have come up with a sound that could see them do some exciting things. There was a nice moment during their set where they did a quick cover of Green Day’s Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) which they dedicated to their friends in Drones – which I thought was a lovely touch. Slam Dunk is on the horizon and Cult Revival have the kind of sound that I think will be very popular for fans of that festival in years to come.

Next up were Drones’ long time friends and Lockjaw Records label mates, Burnt Tapes. You know we’re massive fans of the band at CPRW and any opportunity to see them is always a pleasure. A bit like Cult Revival before them, the sound for the first couple of songs was a bit off but it didn’t stop the crowd from engaging in a big sing-along. The band tore through so many favourites, barely stopping for a chat. Perhaps wanting to squeeze as many songs in as possible during their thirty minutes on stage. Songs such as Drift Champ ’16, Dirt Roads, Robert Cop and Greek Wood all got great reactions, alongside closers Things Get Weird and Yuzi. A new thing that the Tapes have incorporated into their live set since lockdown is bass player Tone getting into the crowd and encouraging them to squat down during the intro of Things Get Weird. It’s a fun bit of crowd participation that Tone in particular gets a real kick out of. As always, Burnt Tapes smashed their set and got me excited to see them again at Bristol Booze Cruise next month.

Last up, it was time for the final ever Drones set. During the changeover we popped outside for some air. Upon returning the room was packed with a lot of people very keen to give Drones a proper send off. The band took to the stage and the anticipation was high as the band started their set. I was extremely pleased that the sound issues that had troubled Burnt Tapes and Cult Revival at the beginning of their sets didn’t seem to be an issue for Drones. Of the few times I’ve seen Drones in the past I’ve always come away just mesmerised by just how good they are live. Lois is such an incredible front person, charisma oozes out of them and makes them extremely watchable. Their vocals sounds spot on and accompanied by bass player Kerr’s shouts is really when the band come into their own. The opening of the set sees the band getting the crowd more and more amped up and it’s not long before the mosh pit gets going and we get our first crowdsurfers of the evening. As I’ve seen Lois do at most Drones shows I’ve been to, it’s not long before they enter the crowd to sing. The crowd seemed to part for them to make a corridor for them to stalk down whilst belting out Rorschach. I always enjoy seeing a band get down in the crowd, not only does it create a stunning visual but it shows there is a togetherness between the band and their fans that’s just wholesome. I stood towards the side of the crowd and had a great view of both the stage and the crowd and it was amazing to see both parties feed off each other to create a truly special moment. The set sadly flew by and it seemed to get to its conclusion far sooner than anyone (including the band, I suspect) would have liked. They saved a couple of surprises for the end though. The first being the current members of the band being joined by some old members for a song, during which Lois took the opportunity to crowd surf, and then as a final song all Drones members past and present performed together, in what I jokingly referred to as a McBusted moment. It was a pretty special moment to witness. It felt like a great way for the band to go out. This was not quite the end though, as the crowd demanded that Drones returned to the stage for a well deserved encore.

This was such a special way for Drones to go out. The room was full of friends of the band from all over the country for one last party with them. The whole evening was full of positive feelings and love and I felt particularly blessed to have been able to witness it. I’ve no clue what the members of Drones have planned but I suspect that we will see them pop up with other musical projects in the future – there’s too much talent in the band for them not do something else.

RIP Drones. Thanks for the music. Thanks for the memories.

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