Slaves @ Barrowlands, 18 Nov

Garage punk duo Slaves have certainly come a long way since the wider public first started paying attention, following their performance on Later with Jools Holland back in 2014. With two albums under their belts, in the shape of Are You Satisfied? and Take Control, they continue to go from strength to strength – which brings us to tonight’s performance at a sold-out Barrowlands.

Isaac Holman’s primal drum-bashing is energetic enough to make us think the spirit of 70s punk has been well and truly reincarnated, without overriding the distinctly modern edge at their core. From the opening of their set, the Kent boys stir the crowd into a sweaty frenzy, keeping tempos upbeat with themes toeing the line between personal and political.

There’s a pan-generational crowd packed in the room, but the band sure know how to bring fans of all ages together: their Sex Pistols/Sham 69 undertones give enough for the die-hard punk rockers and their Beastie Boys/Public Enemy references are more relatable to old school hip-hoppers. The duo’s passion spills out from the stage, creating such an electric atmosphere that the crowd respond in kind, raising the roof in recognition of such relentless raw energy. Slaves have certainly made their mark over the past year; as talk of festivals and new material rolls on, let’s see if they can keep up the pace in 2017.