LIVE REVIEW & GALLERY: Bob Vylan @ The Leadmill, Sheffield

October 31st 2024

Support from CLT DRP & Hyphen

It's only my second time going to The Leadmill in Sheffield since moving, but I love it already! The staff are always super friendly, bar prices are great (albeit I don't drink so couldn’t comment on alcohol prices), great atmosphere, and standing in the queue, someone is always willing to chat - it's brilliant! There are downsides; it's not the easiest place to navigate your way to the toilet when it's sold out, and the photo pit entrance is in a bizarre place in the middle of the crowd, but I love it!

Anyway, moving on to the show!

Kicking off proceedings were Brighton’s CLT DRP (it's said Clit Drip). They were a fireball of loud, brash, unapologetic energy. Singer Annie has attitude for days as she powers through raucous banger after raucous banger! There was a bit of an arrogance coming through the set, which I think was intentional but at times came across a bit too in-your-face for me. They blend a loud, driven punk sound with electronic elements that shapeshift and borrow from trance and drum 'n' bass, at times feeling like a rave. It was a thunderous deluge of thick, scuzzy guitars, an unrelenting drum beat, and chunky soundscapes that couple around experimental aspects and the DIY anarchy of punk.

However, amidst all the noise and pretentious attitude, there was a certain melodic quality to Annie’s voice that brought something more to their sound and asserted their authenticity despite the attitude. While not entirely for me, CLT DRP definitely have something; their energy and passion are undeniable. I just prefer my punk a bit more straightforward.

Then we move on to London’s Hyphen. I think I’m in love with this bloke! You know when you first lock ears with an artist and it's love at first beat? This was how I felt the first time hearing Hyphen (real name Aadarsh Gautam) on the tram ride to Sheffield. Everything about him and his music, while not typically my style, got me straight in the feelings. His blend of alt hip-hop with punk-ish chaos and electronic elements is distinctive and captivating, bearing likenesses to Mike Skinner’s The Streets. There’s swagger, a pummelling drumbeat, and, as with CLT DRP, a thick, chunky soundscape driven by unrelenting guitars and an addictive groove, plus crowd participation—as, by his own admission, he’s “really needy.” Yet what stood out to me above anything was Hyphen’s demeanour, coming across as one of the warmest, most authentic musicians I’ve ever seen. Everything is about love, acceptance, and equality.

Kicking off the set with a playful moment where the drummer gave a rendition of The Backstreet Boys' “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back),” Hyphen bounced on stage wearing some ridiculously in-your-face shorts he later said were his last-minute Halloween costume. The stage was set for fun and energy, but with a serious message. Drawing on his personal experiences with racism, particularly what his mother experienced when first moving to the UK, political injustices, as well as his struggles with mental health. Confiding he started writing music at 22 when he was depressed and suicidal, now almost 10 years on he’s glad to still be here. Hyphen not only offers a voice in the face of racism and discrimination, he offers hope, a friendly voice of experience that says however things seem now, they will get better—keep going.

One line that particularly stood out to me came from ‘Three Pound Pints’, which in part offered some lighter lyricism but at the same time provided food for thought for all those far-right bellends who want “foreigners” to go home: “go back to where you came from, I was literally born in Portsmouth.” Hyphen, for me, was everything—a delightful stage presence, a delicious multifaceted sound, and a powerful message. He currently has loads of singles out but no album; I’m excited to hear a full body of work from him, as there’s something special about listening to a full album in order rather than jumping around singles. Rest assured, though, next time he’s playing locally to me—I’m there!

The reason we were all there! The mighty Bob Vylan, who are in no way influenced by Bob Dylan! Introduced by some very enthusiastic fella who I’ve no clue who he was but I like his energy, the band consists of Bobby on vocals and Bobbie on drums intentionally keep their identities out of the public eye along with their personal lives. They promote clean living while hammering home societal injustices and political inadequacies.

Coming out to The Beatles’ ‘Here Comes the Sun’, there was an instant feeling of hope and positivity throughout the venue despite the serious nature of the music we were about to hear. Kicking off with *Guided Meditation and Light Stretching* to clear the mind and free the soul, the set started with ‘Reign’ from *Humble as the Sun*, which was released earlier this year. This was followed by ‘GYAG (Get Yourself a Gun)’, a protest against high living costs and the “poor stay poor while the rich get richer” attitude of this country. Moving into the politically charged ‘He’s A Man’.

Bobby then handed the floor to Bobbie, introducing him as the “cutest drummer” for a drum solo on their cover of Roy Ayers’ ‘Everybody Loves the Sunshine’. Like with Hyphen, Bob Vylan aren’t my usual thing; in fact, I’m not even sure how I came to first hear them as something that describes itself as grime, rap, and dub would usually put me off. But they blend this with the anthemic nature of rock and the unapologetic rampage of punk to produce a sound that’s really special and accessible to a whole range of music fans. There’s a piercing bassline (albeit for the live shows through a computer) that rips through your soul.

Their music focuses heavily on Black rights and social equality, as well as social commentary, as seen on ‘The Northern Line’. During ‘Wicked and Bad’ we were treated to some pyrotechnics, which were impressive for a venue the size of The Leadmill. I did feel sorry for the girl standing in front of me with her fella. He had his earphones in, looking totally bored; she kept trying to involve him, but he wasn't having any of it! There's a lot to be said for going to gigs on your own and not having to worry about anyone else!

Next up was my absolute favourite Bob Vylan song, ‘Pretty Songs’. The intro strips back the menacing drive for an acoustic moment before powering back up. It got the whole venue pumped. The word change from “black lives have always mattered” to “Palestine lives” gave a nod to the horrific violence innocent people in Palestine are facing, fuelled by the reluctance of the Western world to step in and help.

They then moved on to a quick-fire medley of ‘GDP’, ‘I Heard You Want Your Country Back’, ‘England’s Ending’ and ‘CSGB’, all politically charged. It was a nice inclusion as it meant they could cram more into their set.

There was a lot of crowd interaction and reminiscing. Bobby explained how they began their journey 7 years ago when no one believed in them, but they believed in themselves. There was also a ‘fuck you’ moment for Slam Dunk, who for years refused to put them on for years then finally did this year. However, they only managed to play South (I was there; they were amazing!) before being booted from the North lineup, presumably for being confrontational and overrunning their set time.

They dedicated ‘Delicate Nature’ to their friend and the song’s co-writer, Soft Play’s Laurie Vincent, before ending on a high with ‘Hunger Games’, another song heavy with the plight of the poor and the roulette they play just to get a hot meal.

The standout thing with Bob Vylan is their humble nature, their gratitude, thanking the crowd for allowing them space to grow and the freedom to remain totally independent on their own record label, giving them the opportunity to offer an unfiltered reality.

Branding themselves and their fans as the Fred Perry Mafia, the band is all about kindness, ending with a little rhyme that went something like “talk to us nice to talk to us twice”. Telling the crowd to go hang out with them at the merch desk after the show, have a chat, take some photos, sign some merch—a sign that no matter how big they are, despite playing a near-sell-out tour, they still put their fans at the heart of it all and still have the desire to give back.

Their message is clear: pro-people, anti those in power. Equality and acceptance, health and happiness. Be kind to everyone, including yourself. Their positivity is infectious; I love everything about them—from their sound to their message, their genuine passion and their unbridled authenticity.

Closing out, Katrina and the Waves’ ‘Walking on Sunshine’ filled the airwaves, ensuring everyone left on a sunshine high.