Capdown Live Review @ Rock City (Nottingham) - 26 Oct 2007

Capdown

Live Review

Capdown were one of the first bands I saw play live, seven years ago at Derby's Victoria Inn. It was therefore something of a life marker to see their latest dates billed as a farewell tour. Since forming they've toured relentlessly, achieving less commercial success than their critically acclaimed mix of ska, dub and hardcore might expect or deserve. Nearly a decade of hard work is ample reason to finally call it a day, but I couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret on hearing that another of the third wave ska greats were finally winding things up.

Nottingham's Rock City is an authentic cave of a venue, low ceilings and tiny stage cramming the band and crown into border country that heaves with an incredible energy - and of course in true ska tradition the pit was filled with short people whose skanking elbows move with crotch threatening abandon. The only true way to experience ska-core is on the front lines, and not diving in the moment the band launched into 'Act your Rage' would have been unthinkable. One song in and for a heart stopping moment, as Jake's inimitable sax ran inaudibly through the opening to 'Cousin Cleotis' I thought the gig would be plagued by shocking sound quality. Thankfully a burst of frantic gesturing at the sound technician bought the brass up in the mix and the gig began in earnest.

The addition of a keyboardist\sample-mixer to the band has bought depth to the music, and a broken-up remix of Dub No.1 made a great announcement to Capdown joining the stage. Songs like Pound for the Sound, Dealer Fever and Positivity still have enormous presence live but there's a feeling that the band don't quite have the energy they used to. That isn't to say they're lacking, just a notch down from the dizzying heights of their early gigs.

The crowd bounce like frogs on a hot trampoline throughout a relentless set before the least convincing pre-encore stage desertion ever. Capdown's 'last song' is followed almost seconds later by the band returning to wild cheering - if this is a swansong, the crowd don't want it to end. Their devotion is rewarded with a brilliant rendition of 'Bitches and Nike Shoes', and there a moment of poignant irony as two hundred people sing "No more, this time, freedom of speech and freedom of sound for all of time."

Inevitably and fittingly, it is the genre-classic 'Ska Wars' that finally brings proceedings to a close. Before I know it the closing chords have merged into noise and faded and I'm gulping down water to replace the pints of fluid I'm currently wearing as damp sweat. The crowd disperses and I glance at my watch to see that it's just gone ten-fifteen; seven years of my life have been neatly bookended and melancholy isn't far away. Someone walks past humming a sax line and the thought suddenly occurs that we're about due a fourth wave of ska and anyway, there's always the next great band to find. Like a flash, life is all upsides (and off-beats) again and a great gig ending early just means more time to go drinking...

James Thomson