After trailing through London for quite some time, having gotten the venue wrong. I arrived at The Islington, in Islington to start my Halloween off interviewing and reviewing professional party goers, and ska enthusiasts Imperial Leisure. Having already played Scotland that week in wake of their new single, Machine vs Monster, Imperial Leisure were closing their weekend of celebrations in London, on the release date of the single.

 

Due to my poor time keeping I missed the first band on stage, but managed to catch second support act The Survival Code’s entire set. As someone who grew up listening to punk, The Survival Code are what my ears have been craving from modern music. The band made the most of the small stage, filling the room with their energetic sound. Even on the slower songs, the band made up for the tight space with emotion. I would strongly recommend listening to their debut album MMXV especially if you’re a fan of The Swellers or Rise Against.

 

After quite a few more drinks, we headed back into the stage room to get a good spot for Imperial Leisure. The room had really filled out by this time, with a lot of people sticking to the machine or monster dress code. Having seen Imperial Leisure before, I know to expect the sheer pandemonium that erupts the second they start playing. But tonight the band have been informed of the venues new paint job, which sadly meant no champagne throwing to open up their set. The band cope though, still exploding onto the stage in a mass of offbeat madness. The energy and charisma from the band reflect onto the crowd, they play a very balanced set list of old and new songs, keeping the mood high and the room dancing. When playing their new single Machine vs Monster, Imperial Leisure split the crowd in two, with people dressed as monsters on one side, and machines on the other. Despite the venue being a small one, the band do manage a wall of death, with a small pit that as many ska gigs do, resulted in some very intense dancing. The band know how to put on a show, and when they leave the stage the party spirit still remains.