Sleaford Mods are on a national tour and The Scholar, Leicester was privileged to host the one of the most important bands of our time.

Sleaford Mods are angry and angry about a lot of things, corporate bastards, benefits, racism and Leicester were about to find out how truly angry they are with the state of the country and the world.

Ill Move Sporadic FT. MCs Gee Bag and Tenchoo were the support act and they were in the mood for fun. Fun is something that is sadly lacking in today’s modern hip-hop it’s all very serious but IMC and the Two MCs felt like an original hip-hop act and ended the set with a freestyle (an audience suggestion) based on ‘sex’.

For anyone who’s been to The Scholar it’s University of Leicester Student Bar. Its somewhere where Sleaford Mods (cover stars of the NME) should not be playing they are popular enough to be playing a venue twice the size of The Scholar.

You will not find a more eclectic crowd than one at a Sleaford Mods gig, a mix of punks, metal heads, Oasis lads and a 60 year old at the front in a tuxedo.

The fact that so many different people are here shows the importance of the band but the only way to truly understand them is to see them live.

They are an intoxicating site to watch on stage frontman Jason Williamson is in an almost trance like state as he spews out the most brilliant lyrics you could imagine. This is delivered over Producer Andrew Fearn’s underrated but brilliant music delivered straight from his laptop.

In between verses frontman Jason struts around stage like a peacock and this is exactly what their fans will be doing when they go home and preach to the masses.

There most important songs are one that deal with the world of work, alienated at work or abused on benefits it’s something that unites everyone. ‘Jobseeker’ and ‘Fizzy’ are spitted towards the crowd who reciprocate with equal disdain.

Sleaford Mods are the musical zeitgeist of our time, this was recognised this week by The Prodigy who announced a collaboration with the Sleaford Mods by saying ‘Its fuckin deadly’.

This is the second time I’ve seen Sleaford Mods, with two more in the pipeline and I cannot understate how brilliant they are live. They are simply a must see.

Sleaford Mods release new EP ‘Tiswas’ on November 24th.

10/10