Live at XOYO, London. Everybody with working eardrums can pinpoint one or two potential ear-worm songs, insistently catchy tunes that bore into your head and downright refuse to let go. “Sweet Sour” is definitely one of these beasts, and for all the right reasons. Okay it might not be Band of Skulls most lyrically profound song to date, but there is just something about the raw, grinding guitars and the shift from a whining melody to an in-your-face raucous chorus that is just addictive listening. And it ticked all the right boxes when the Southampton three-piece used it to kick off their gig at XOYO in London. Front man Russell Marsden was right when he called the group the veritable “Swiss Army Knife” of bands. They have an incredibly versatile sound that can switch from meaty bass-heavy rock to bluesy garage or gloomy ballads in a heartbeat. Marsden’s yowling vocals mix really well with bassist Emma Richardson’s sweeter harmonies – a fact showcased brilliantly by their third song of the night “Fires” and instant rock classic “Lies”. At this show, captured back in 2012 in support of the then new album ‘Sweet Sour’, the band treated the crowd to a great mix of both old and new tracks. If you had questioned all the positive hype around Band of Skulls before the gig, you were eating a nice big slice of humble pie by the end of it. One thing’s for certain - with all the drum-heavy beats and Marsden’s squealing guitar riffs cranked up to eleven, these guys were born to play live!  

 

Rock