KiD BRiTiSH, Manchester Apollo

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May 4th 2009

Supporting The Specials would be classed as a fantastic opportunity by any band worth their salt yet there also inherent difficulties and pressures that would inevitably come with it. You’ll be relieved to hear that Kid British deal with these factors ably – and then some. Hand-picked by members of The Specials and personally asked to support by Lynval Golding during one of their gigs in London earlier this year, this marks just another point on the rising star that is Kid British. Infused with the characteristic mix of indie/pop/ska/reggae that propelled their mentors to such a legendary platform, this is a band that impresses and impacts within minutes.

Fresh from their support slots with The Enemy in recent months, the band are clearly used to the role of warming up the audience. Perhaps you could say they had an easier job tonight. having been anointed by The Specials, as the crowd are willing to be more than receptive to their fresh and innovative sound. Tunes such as ‘She Will Leave’ and ‘Part Time Job/Shirt & Tie’ grease the wheels into motion as the Apollo audience applauds every song with slightly more vigour than the one before.

The set up of Kid British remains a rather peculiar one, with the actual group consisting of four singers yet their live show incorporates 3 very astute musicians to fill out their sound. A watertight backline is maintained and is complimented by the thrashing guitar that chops away at their melodies. The band strike up an immediate rapport with the crowd, with vocalist Simeon ironically declaring “this was supposed to be our next single, but they wouldn’t play it on the radio… I know you’ve heard that one before!” parodying The Specials’ appearance on The Old Grey Whistle Test way back when in 1979.

With their debut album, It Was This Or Football, scheduled for released at the end of June/early July – Kid British have done themselves no harms in terms of the comparisons they have had made about them and the company they have kept thus far. Support slots for the aforementioned Specials, Enemy and even a stint with fellow Mancunians The Courteeners – the future looks very bright indeed. Finishing off their set with live favourites ‘Elizabeth’, ‘Lost In London’ and ‘Let’s Have A Party’ there can be no doubt that Kid British left this Specials audience in the mood for one hell of a party. Be under no illusion, this band draws comparisons to such greats not merely through basic association or genre matching – they thoroughly deserve the recognition they are achieving. The strength of the material is unlike any other out there at the minute, leading Lynval Golding of The Specials to label them as the ones to “carry the baton” into the future for pop-ska music.

Ignore Kid British at your own peril. One could only sense that it might not be too far along the line until the band would return to a venue of this size under their own motion, and such a notion really does not seem unfathomable. Kid British are set to embark on a headline tour later this month and into June and the obvious summer festival season as their momentum is surely likely to rise around the release of their first album.

We can’t wait to see and hear what will come next. Polished performances from a fledgling band; the future really is bright for Kid British.

Click here for our exclusive interview with the band!

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