Live Review: Skegss, Pist Idiots

The audience piled in, when the clock struck 8.30pm, for tonight's opening act, Pist Idiots. When the first guitar riff began to ring through the Oxford Art Factory, a girl's bra was already thrown at the lead vocalist, which became a great accessory for some of the set, as it hung gracefully from his guitar’s neck. They were the perfect support for headliners Skegss as they filled the room with boundless bursts of energy; the vocals came drawled out — husky and wild.

In the interval between sets, a disturbance outside attracted the attention of some arguably heavy-handed police, making for a confronting and upsetting situation for those caught up in the fray. To cheer up the gloomy vibe once the crowd drifted back inside, Skegss began their killer set full of good vibes.

They started with My Face and, straight away, the crowd went wild in the mosh. Limbs were loitering all over, and voices yelling out the lyrics. The venue was filled to the brim as they played You Probably Won’t Die For A While from their recently released EP, Holiday Food. For the opening lyric, "Roll your eyes to the back of your head," the lead, Benny Reed, literally did the action and, even from the back of the room, it looked really cool. They then transitioned into Soaking It All In, also from their recently released EP. By this tune, the crowd was soaked in sweat.

Reed played a slow burner of theirs, Heart Attack, all on his lonesome. This was a more mellow moment to change things up before they ploughed into Got On My Skateboard. This tune saw the artist who designs the Skegss logos and merchandise, Jack Irvine, stand up on some kind of board (it could have been one of his artworks, honestly) and ‘skate’ through the mosh, before falling into the crowd's arms. To end, they played their recent hit, Spring Has Sprung. The catchy guitar sounds, as well as the wild and carefree vibes of the show, had the audience drifting outside into the winter weather in summer bliss, the lyrics and pop-driven choruses still circulating in their heads.