Graduating from Bodega to Rescue Rooms, Kid Kapichi’s hotly anticipated return to Nottingham had one aim and one aim only; Smash the Gaff...
By the time the sold-out venue had filled with fans, the night was already in full swing after two incredible support sets from Monakis and SNAYX, two acts that perfectly fit the bill for Kid Kapichi.
Monakis offered a rousing dose of grunge punk which injected the room with everything they’d need for the rest of the night – energy, anger and life. SNAYX followed suit with a set that very much could have been a headline act in and of itself.
With stage presence to boot, the pair took a more playful approach to punk, constantly inviting the audience into their world, whether through modelling for any videos being taken, beckoning them to jump or even, taking things to another extreme, jumping into the pit to the tune of We Like To Party by the Vengaboys and grabbing soon-to-be fans by the face and convincing them head on.
It has to be said, this is absolutely a strategy that worked. The pit erupted into life during the breakdown of their next track, and it was clear to see why there were so many SNAYX shirts in the audience - they really are the life of the party.
Inviting a support like that is actually quite brave, as now Kid Kapichi had the task of matching their energy. But after a dramatic build up from a pre-recorded soundscape of a familiar ticking clock, Rescue Rooms was ready to erupt into action once more.
Opening with their incredibly catchy track 5 Days On (2 Days Off), Nottingham welcomed back the band’s brutal riffs, punchy vocals and show-stopping stage presence. A fact I’ve been particularly taken by since the show was that any one of Kid Kapichi’s extremely talented band members could have been the frontman, which is quite refreshing really.
Too often you see bands where it is just the vocalist that grabs the visual attention of the room, but that’s just not Kid Kapichi. While vocalist Ben Beetham absolutely does command the room to join in with balled fists, equally Jack Wilson and Eddie Lewis, on guitar and bass, similarly commit with all they have to giving their energy to the audience.
Eddie even took his bass guitar on a trip to the pit at one point in their set, with Ben remarking afterwards ‘made it out alive then?’ There’s no fear with these guys to simply just go for it, and it’s one of the things that make them so special.
Even from the back of the stage, drummer George Macdonald on the drums was consistently beckoning the audience into action. It’s a group effort to keep everyone moving, and they never take their eye off of that goal.
Politically charged tracks like New England and I.N.V.U went down particularly well with the audience, who regularly filled the gaps between songs with their chants of ‘f**k the tories’.
Notably, one particular faction within the audience had brought a flag with them – a group of striking nurses. After a day on the picket line, they remarked that they’d come to Rescue Rooms for some catharsis ad to ‘get the rage out’. What a perfect evening to do just that.
The band entirely entertained the chanting with George accompanying the crowd on the drums. The chant even made its way into the band’s stripped down number Party at No. 10, in which the band note the way in which it feels like ‘there’s one rule for you and another for them’ in reference to government.
It’s clear that they’re voicing the feelings of so many, selling out shows across the country for fans that connect with those same frustrations.
The band did appear to be slightly frustrated at times with a number of technical difficulties they appeared to be facing. However, all were dealt with swiftly and professionally, and did not detract from the quality of the set.
They continued to captivate the crowd, and still had fun with the audience even at one point during their track Supersoaker squirting the audience with a water gun. Both cooling down the sweaty pit and blasting some fun into the room, this was a memorable moment and a great choice from them.
Rounding out their set with meaty basslines and growling vocals on tracks like Sardines and Smash the Gaff, the night ended on an absolute high, with no sign of fatigue from a crowd running on Kid Kapichi’s life force.
The energy from them never waned either, with Eddie at shredding against a wall at one point in an ultimate rockstar move. They were absolutely satiating an appetite for anger, and they were doing it in style.
Leaving the venue, Kid Kapichi fans went home after a refreshing night of laying it all out in the mosh pit. Whether you’re a striking nurse, a student, or someone needing a release after a working 5 Days On (2 Days Off), this is a band that not only has your back, but can offer you the space to rage about the state of the world with them. Kid Kapichi speak for the people, and the people scream right back.
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