Tonight was their second London show at the larger Oslo and for me, another special show.

Since they last played London, they have changed drummers. Enter stage right, one of our favourite drummers, Cat Myers. I have to admit, I was really surprised, given the bands Cat has drummed for, to find her drumming for one of the most DIY bands around. She must clearly see what we see. Unusually, this isn’t going to be a review of the band, this is about how great a drummer Cat is!

Benefits are noise and poetry. Kingsley’s well observed lyrics on the selfishness and intolerance of modern society are spat out with equal part venom and despair. Behind him, the band create a wall of industrial noise / music.

I think many will be scared away by the noise. But there is music in there. Like modernist ‘classical’ composers like Xenakis, they are manipulating our primeval ability to see patterns in randomness.

The words Kingsley spits out are central to the band. Every single word has meaning. Pieces like Flags, questions patriotism. As a patriotic socialist. I believe a country’s strength comes from how it looks after the most deprived in society. Flag explores how the ‘Right’ sells an idea of patriotism to the working-class that keeps them deprived and those with the money in power. This is vital and serious stuff and is also the reason why I love the band. They are willing to put their heads on the chopping block, in the hope the music they create, changes society. Their music challenges the listener both musically and intellectually.

So why is this a review of a drummer?

A message is great. But a message with no listeners is just a mad man shouting into the dark. A message has to be heard. Punk achieved this through three minute long songs you could jump around to. Dylan achieved this through cleverly written songs. People like Tom Robinson (a big fan of the band) and Billy Bragg achieved this through expertly written pop song.

One of the barriers to Benefits growing, is their insistence on challenging the listener. Cat is a vital addition. She introduces a different musical mentality where she drives us to dance. Her drumming is alway ‘powerfully sublime’. Cat hits the drums as hard as any drummer. She is pure rock. Bonham would be impressed. But she has something most power drummers don’t have. She has a a subtle touch that isn’t necessarily obvious unless you are ‘down at the front’. What differs Cat from may drummers is that she adds subtle little sub-beats to her drumming that are closer to dance music than rock.

Tonight I was dancing to Benefit’s music.

I will repeat that….

I was dancing to music intended to make me stop and think!

Benefits, the noise merchants, the band that have set themselves up to challenge you. Tonight, had danceable music. That is a vital and important change.

People like me. People with a political persuasion similar to the band, who will happily listen to industrial music (or Xenakis) and enjoy ‘anti-music’, aren’t the right audience. The message has to be more widely heard. Adding a drummer who only knows how to make you dance, creates a bridgehead. Before you know it. You are dancing and the message is seeping into our numb-skulls. This is a genius move by the band. I only hope given a few support slots in 2023, this will catapult them into the big time and they help us change society.

I am not really the right person to review the vitalness of tonight. As a working-class lad from Teesside, one of the most deprived areas of the UK, I am surprised Benefits are one of the few bands challenging Tory austerity/Brexit Britain head on. I do not understand why more bands aren’t screaming like Kingsley, about the injustice of modern society. Sadly, I guess it is just a reflection of how southern middle-class our music is. Benefits should not be the flag wavers of the resistance. But by god, they are. Tonight, they again proved how vital they are and I just bloody love them for trying to change things.

Support tonight was from Straight Girl, who probably should be categorised as an EDM artist, and not really my thing. But tonight at least, I bloody loved her set.

Not a bad evening of thought. Thank you Benefits and Straight Girl, for making me think.

I have to admit, I thought twice before going to this gig. I know so many people who have picked up COVID at gigs in the last month. While I still mask-up with FFP2 masks and I had Omicron at Christmas. I debated the risk. It is one thing going to gigs and taking on the risk myself, but it is another thing taking the risk into my parents home. In the end I decided to go and I hope to god I don’t regret this decision. But I decided to be more careful than usual to reduce the risk.

I reviewed Benefits in February. I found them to be a vital and visceral experience. Since then, they have announced their first physical release through Yard Act’s new label and with this announcement received more great press. Hopefully, with so many people posting positive reviews and the Yard Act boost, they are going to continue to grow. 

Tonight, with a sold-out home crowd and with friends in the audience who undoubtably have similar political persuasions. It was the perfect audience for their brand of noise poetry. The people in songs like ‘Flags’, with their working-class nationalism sold to them through the lie of a red, white and blue ‘Great Britain’, are Teessiders we all know. Friends or relatives who faced with fewer opportunities are turning towards a Britain that never existed for the working-class. A Britain that generations of our families fought against to change – to give us the rights and protections we have. That sadly the working-classes are being fooled into giving up by voting for a Brexit that keeps the wrong people in power, who will never fix their problems.

Like in February, the angst was still there. We were bombarded with a wall of industrial noise and Kingsley machine-gunning the audience with his angry lyrics. I just wanted to open the windows and let everyone in Middlesbrough listen. But sadly, I don’t think many would.

As I was taking it easy and I thought Kingsley might be ill, I moved to the back for the last few songs to reduce the risk. Unbelievably, people at the back we chatting making it difficult to hear. What is it with these people? There is somebody with a message on stage and they are not listening. This shows the uphill struggle Benefits have. Their political message will appeal to those who want to listen. But most will switch off. They are in the main shouting at people who already agree with them and are nodding along earnestly in agreement. Meanwhile, those who probably should be listening, chat about the weather and blame foreigners for all their ills, and not those in power who are responsible for them. It is sad. This will limit how big they will grow. But at least Benefits are trying. If one person left tonight reflecting on what it means to be British in our post-Brexit country, then that has to be a good thing.

Support was from Straight Girl and MEMES.