Sonic Boom Six Live :: Wessex Scene Online

Sonic Boom Six Live

15th November 2008
Rik Sharma

Rate this story

Oct 08 - Subhumans Live
Nov 08 - The Ghost Frequency Live
Nov 08 - The Stranglers Live
Nov 08 - Foals Live
Nov 08 - Cyndi Lauper, Southampton Guildhall

More by Rik Sharma

Dec 09 - Frank Turner at Winchester Guildhall
Dec 09 - Billy Talent at Southampton Guildhall
Dec 09 - Frank Turner
May 09 - NOFX: Coaster
May 09 - Propaghandi: Islington Academy

Sonic Boom Six hit the Talking Heads , Southampton, with a bang on the 9th October 2008.

Sonic Boom Six have never played the Talking Heads in Southampton before, only the Joiners, but even though this venue is slightly larger, their sound remained as powerful and urgent.

The first support act, Chief, didn’t manage to get a lot of people down the front to watch them, but this was through no fault of their own. Their music was positive and strong hardcore. However, with the other bands being ska and reggae, and of course the Boom having a number of genre’s in their armoury, (though none of them hardcore) the crowd’s music tastes may not have been particularly suited to Chief, however the future could hold good things for them.

The JB Conspiracy were up next, and were solid as always, deliciously pacy though never spectacular. Chris Murray, the acoustic reggae guitarist over from America completed the support acts, and his gentle melodies were well received.

When the headline band hit the stage however the crowd went crazy for them, and despite being teased with the opening intro sounds of ‘The Rape of Punk to Come’, the band broke into ‘Sound of a Revolution’; one of the biggest tracks on ‘Arcade Perfect’. Their set has varied a bit on this tour, and ‘Ya Basta!’ and ‘Danger! Danger!’ were welcome additions. The intensity that kicked off proceedings was well maintained, with the killer chorus of ‘September to May’ provoking mayhem in the pit.

Sonic Boom Six also find time to dedicate a song to the ‘old school punks’, and squeeze in the furiously paced ‘Blood For Oil’, as well as the old classic, ‘Monkey See, Monkey Do’. Also included were the hip-hop-heavy ‘Tell Me Something I Don’t Know’ and ‘For 12 Weeks the City is Theirs’. The latter track is one which perhaps showcases the band’s enviable ability to move fluidly from heavy to light and fast to slow. Perhaps the only semi-negative of the whole night is that the set is a little ‘Arcade Perfect’ heavy (seven of the dozen or so songs), but when the album in question is that damn good, who has the right to complain?

The band’s stage presence was excellent as ever; Barney, Ben and Leila prowling the stage gloriously. The best part of the set was the ending; perhaps their most loved song, ‘Piggy in the Middle’ received the welcome you would expect it to; and then a final ‘surprise’ for many. ‘Until the Sunlight Comes’, a six minute odd reggae song from ‘The Ruff Guide to Genre Terrorism’, was left to finish the set, and it was beautiful. Every one of Neil’s drum beats and the guitar echoes reverberated throughout the band on stage and into the crowd, and this was a marvellous way to round off proceedings.

By the next time Sonic Boom Six come back to Southampton, it will be in support of new material (provided no new dates are suddenly added). I can’t wait.