Skating Polly arrive in Liverpool for the second time inside 12 months having made a huge impression at Jimmy’s last March. Tonight, it’s a bigger venue and bigger expectations, can they live up to their star billing?
But first there’s an impressive supporting cast to warm things up. First up is Broken Down Golf Cart aka Jen Baranick, a Canadian artist but currently based here in Liverpool. She’s not only a talented musician, but an amazing animator and videographer who’s currently working with many bands and artists here in the UK. Her spaced out grunge is a perfect start to the evening and gathering crowd is enjoying it a lot. Very interesting artist. Hopefully I we don’t have to wait too long before catching Broken Down Golf Cart around town.
Spaff, a very promising band from Yorkshire are next on the stage. Starting with a cheesy country intro and my first thought is ‘oh god, no! not this, not today…’. thankfully this is all but a tease before they unleash their ferocious blend of punk and grunge. Fans of Idles need to take notice! Their meaty bass driven sound and exceptional vocal, fills with a venom that can’t fail to get a crowd animated. Definitely a band to watch.
For those who are not familiar with Skating Polly, the band was founded in Oklahoma City in 2009 by multi-instrumentalist step siblings Kelli Drew Mayo and Peyton McKenna Bighorse. After few years Kelli’s brother Kurtis Lee Mayo was drafted in playing on drums. Musically their influences have a spiritual home in the Pacific northwest with a healthy kick of underground feminist punk. Their sixth album ‘Chaos County Line’ will be released on June 23 this year.
Amazing ‘Queen for a Day’ starts tonight’s show with room filled with blue light. Some fans are already singing along. Another two tracks from their 2018 ‘The Make it All Show’ album follow . ‘Free Will at Ease’, ‘Little Girl Blue and The Battle Envy’. It’s a strong start from the band.
After a short break Kelli introduces a brand-new single from upcoming album, ‘Hickey King’ which sees a them follow the LOUD quiet LOUD template to a tea with added vocal harmonies balancing things out nicely! If it ain’t broke….
We get some further teasers from the forthcoming ‘The Big Fit’ album and ‘Louder in Outer Space’ from 2017’s ‘New Trick’ EP, originally sung with Louise Post & Nina Gordon of Verucia Salt.
A bit like the venue, as the show progresses, the sound is getting hotter, louder and you have to feel for poor Peyton as she sits on stage with a leg elevated (a sprained ankle as opposed to a rock’n’roll high kick) unable to join in jumping around with Kelli, who does indulge in some high kicks!
For a band that started their European tour over a month ago, you’d expect them to be tired but throughout their 15 song set, the levels of energy and feistiness never drops below badass. It’s been another great night prime punk rock.
Hopefully we’ll get the chance to see Skating Polly play some UK festivals in near future. We can’t think of many other bands so deserving of the opportunity to play to a wider audience.
The new album ‘Chaos County Line’ is coming out this June, you won’t be disappointed.
Words and pictures: Tom Adam