Having sold out Rock City in November, punk rap duo Bob Vylan returned to Rough Trade this week for a more intimate set and signing of their new album Humble as the Sun, bringing heavy guitar, catchy lyrics, and timely political messaging.
It’s been a few years since I first stumbled across Bob Vylan and their break out album We Live Here. Since then, the duo have gone from strength to strength, releasing Bob Vylan Presents the Price of Life in 2022 and more recently Humble as the Sun just a few weeks ago.
The set at Rough Trade started as all Bob Vylan sets do, with ‘some light stretching and meditation’ followed by a deliciously brutal outburst of guitar. An unusual way to start a punk gig, but this is not a usual punk gig - as frontman Bobby points out, the band is made up of two black men and there are no guitars on stage.
But what is the point of punk, if not to rip up the rules. As much as the genre likes to see itself as music’s antagonist, over the years the conversation around what is punk and what is not has become somewhat hackneyed, it’s image one which some like to gatekeep whilst ignoring the original values of throwing around dissent to show up the establishment. If there is any musical genre that should ideally hold its ethos higher than its choice of instrument or image, its punk.
Vylan’s lyrics are certainly made to highlight the inequalities in British society, snapping back at everyday racism, and shining a light on the more unseemly areas of British culture. Along with enjoying the heavy, heavy noise, it’s the wit and finger on the pulse lyrics that that I adore. One of the highlights of the evening was He’s a Man, a ferociously catchy tirade about a certain faction of British toxic masculinity which has been in my head for a good few months now: (Love's a chicken korma / hates the hands that cook it / Pinch a cheeky bottom, says there's never harm in looking' / Take him anywhere and you'll regret you ever took him).
Alongside the musical deliciousness, there is lots of chat from the stage in between songs, which isn’t simply down to the intimate setting of the tiny venue we’re in - it’s a pretty standard part of a Bob Vylan set. There’s a lot of laughter from the audience as Bobby talks about the leak he was just informed is currently happening in his London flat, or the fact his young daughter (who calls these gig interludes ‘lectures’) doesn’t think he’s cool. It’s this comradery with the crowd which makes Bob Vylan shows special and create a connection with the audience that few artists do so skilfully.
We believe if we’re able to do this - as two black guys making punk music with no guitars on stage, then there’s no reason why anybody can’t do absolutely anything they want to
Another highlight of the evening is Dream Big, another track from the new album, this time a powerful pep talk about believing in yourself despite whatever start you may have had. Bobby openly wonders about how audiences are always ready to cheer for the political admonishments given from the stage, but are much quieter to shout about their own abilities. “We can often have a hard time as individuals recognising our own power and being in a place of self-belief, and admitting to ourselves it’s okay to fail but it’s not okay to not try.”
“We didn’t know if anyone would ever care about this band, but we just continued to do it anyway,” Bobby says. “And we believe if we’re able to do this - as two black guys making punk music with no guitars on stage, then there’s no reason why anybody can’t do absolutely anything they want to.”
It’s encouraging to recognise that an accomplished artist was once just starting out, unsure where they will get to, and the juxtaposition of humility and ripping heavy music is refreshing and much needed. There’s lots of gigs where you can find a good shock of heavy sounds to get the heart pumping again, but rarely do they make you feel so uplifted too. That is the beauty of Bob Vylan, and I highly recommend catching them next time they play.
Bob Vylan's new album Humble as the Sun is out now. Listen here on Spotify.
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