REVIEW by Themis Jones

BOMB Skwad’ were in town.

On Saturday, April 29 Bomb Skwad came of age in Stroud at Landsdown Hall and I was there to witness their first live stage appearance.

Over the past 12 months I have been an avid follower of this band because ‘what they are saying’ has a depth of relative, cultural resonance.

They have built their personae through the social media networks which are now more readily accepted within youth culture today.

Unaccustomed as we are within an older generation to fully appreciate what ‘Rap’ and the underground music scene has to offer the society we live in today or we may refer to it as; ‘off the scale’ or ‘just a load of noise’ but the obvious pointers to a disenfranchised youth become very direct and very apparent.

The evening was filled with young people enjoying a feast of Hip Hop, Bassline and Drum ‘n Bass but the message is quite clear.

The youth are seemingly more despondent with the system into which they find themselves growing up.

The UK wide underground music scene has a new; vibrant, verbacious and highly articulate group of young men from Stroud who have banded together in a collaboration of minds to show; innovation, entrepreneurial spirit but above all that, incredible artistic vivacity.

The group is made up from; Archie Cook, Max Simpson, Richie Matthews and Jamie Knight who together are offering music which is a uniquely, blended mix of; Hip Hop, Bassline and Drum ‘n Bass.

The majority of the work done was achieved without the aid of external funding for the event and the band arranged and invited several other acts to perform on the night, in an impressive visual and audio phonic presentation.

When asked who their worked was aimed at, the band replied; ‘The event was offered to kids like us’.

It is never too late and you are never too late to engage with the youth culture and in the words of Bomb Skwad; ‘It’s always something, something, something or something else’ which gets in our way.

Without an understanding of the younger generation, how are we to commit to their understanding as we age?