Posted on August 23, 2009 - by Emma Stone

The King Blues + Random Hand

Robin Leitch-Random Hand © Emma Stone

The Cockpit
Leeds, UK
Monday 10th August 2009

Random Hand burst onto the Cockpit stage with the boundless and exhilarating energy they have become so well known for. However, during crowd favourite ”Play Some Ska”, I notice there seems to be a vibe in the room that differs from your typical ska-punk gig. As I look at the crowd surrounding me, I realise I’m not surrounded by the usual punk-orientated crowd. Many of them look rather bewildered as the mohawks amongst them start headbanging to mosh-happy tune ”Anthropology”. Yet frontman Robin Leitch soon gets them into the swing of things, inviting them to get moving to the more danceable ”For Roni”. Soon, the whole room is bouncing and cheering for closing song ”Scum Triumphant”. As the Keighley 4-piece leaves the stage after a victorious set, I hear people around me exclaiming ”Who are they?” &“They’re really good!” Many a newly converted Random Hand fan in the crowd tonight!

There is a definite shift in the atmosphere in the room as a few woops break through the murmured chatter each time a roadie is mistaken for a KB member when they walk onstage to sound check.  Then the moment they have been anticipating; the band arrives onstage to cheers, dozens of camera flashes lighting up the room and Jonny ”Itch” Fox marking the beginning of their set with the trademark spraying of ”King Fucking Blues” on the white sheet strung up at the back of the stage.

They kick off the set with their ”Intro” to their first album, ‘Under the Fog’, and then go straight into ”Blood On Their Hands”.  I admit I was pleasantly surprised to see the kids around me singing to every word; I had presumed their introduction to the band was only after the release of ”Save The World, Get The Girl”.

The first single, ”Let’s Hang The Landlord” off their second album was met with raucous applause and yelling with frenzied movement all the way to the back of the room as things really get going.  Political anthem ”The Streets Are Ours” is dedicated to any G20 supporters out there. You can sense the passion the band all feel for such issues, radiating as they yell ”Who’s streets?” into the faces of the crowd who in response scream, ”Our streets!” right back at them.

Itch-King Blues © Emma Stone

In a break between songs Itch admits ”It’s such a pleasant feeling walking onstage and seeing so many smiling faces in the crowd, it’s very humbling”.  Closing the set with the album-titled track ”Save The World, Get The Girl” sees the entire room bouncing in unison, hands in the air and singing along, and it’s clear that this isn’t the end of the night.

Sure enough, after chants of ”More!”, Itch returns to the stage to perform two of his self penned poems, the first of which is ”5 Bottles of Shampoo”, a heart-warming song about the ways women are treated in the modern day, which sure enough gets the attention it deserves from every single female in the room.  The second, ”What If Punk Never Happened”, a poem recognising an alternate way of life which could have so easily been, included great moments of audience participation as the crowd helpfully shout along to the few words Itch confessed to have forgotten himself.  The very final song of the night sees the entire band get back onstage to perform the uplifting tune ”Taking Over”, to which every single person in the room sang along too.

During Random Hand’s set, frontman Robin Leitch enquired just how many people had never been to a King Blues gig before, and around a third of the room responded. I can guarantee, it will not be their last.