There was something fitting about Spear of Destiny wrapping up their tour at the Brudenell Social Club. Leeds’ hallowed institution has long been a sanctuary for music with grit, conviction and history, and on the final night of their latest run, Kirk Brandon and company delivered just that.
Before the main event, the crowd were treated to strong support from Dollface Reunion and Cheeks. The latter, in particular, were impossible to ignore. Wit, performance and a measure of chaos, Chadwick Mcrorie postured at the front of the stage with infectious energy, sharp humour and enough dance moves to loosen up even the most hardened post-punk crowd. Alex Baum (drummer from The Mission) held things together at the back, so it was just as much substance as style. It was a performance that felt spontaneous and…well, cheeky, setting the mood perfectly for what was to follow.
As Kirk Brandon emerged, he was greeted with the kind of roar reserved for artists who have become more than musicians to their fans. At 69, Brandon still cuts a defiant figure. The years have done little to diminish the presence of the man responsible for visceral records like Outland and World Service. I spoke with Brandon a couple of weeks before the show, and despite his self-deprecation, he is a performer whose songs were hewn from the stone of conviction rather than fashion, and they still speak to us in these turbulent times.
Tonight’s incarnation of Spear of Destiny was stripped back to a four-piece. Inevitably, the absence of some of the studio embellishments meant they couldn’t fully recreate the expansive sound of those recordings. Yet what they lost in scale they more than made up for in force. Particularly impressive was guitarist Adrian Portas, who absorbed some of the band’s iconic saxophone lines into his playing. It wasn’t a compromise by any means, giving the songs a live immediacy that reinforced why Spear of Destiny’s reputation has always been built as much on the stage as in the studio.
The set itself took time to fully ignite. The Brudenell was packed with Spear devotees, alongside a couple of uncanny Kirk Brandon lookalikes who seemed to have stepped straight out of the mid-1980s. For much of the opening stretch, the atmosphere felt almost reverential. Fans stood fixed, absorbing every note, as though gathered at the altar of post-punk royalty.
Gradually, though, the energy shifted.
These Days Are Gone emerged as one of the evening’s highlights, its sound building the atmosphere as it went, and igniting the atmosphere on the dancefloor. Later, Lucky Man served as a reminder that Brandon’s voice remains a quality instrument, still capable of carrying the power of his message.
A cover of Joy Division’s Transmission was dedicated to their friend Peter Hook, before the set began to really lift off. World Service proved the catalyst. The crowd answered the call and found another gear. Fists punched the air. Voices rose in unison to the refrain of “I hear music”.
After a brief pause, the band returned for an encore that made sure there would be no soft landing. Playground of the Rich kept the crowd surging, while Mickey demonstrated how punk can make its point without ever needing to resort to sloganeering. Its themes feel particularly resonant in the current climate, giving the song a poignancy that has only deepened some 40 years since its release.
Liberator exploded into life to close out the show, unleashing the energy that had been bubbling beneath the surface all evening. The mosh pit that had threatened to emerge finally burst into existence, a swirling collision of joy and nostalgia. By the time the final notes rang out, there were grins everywhere and, almost certainly, a few aching bones guaranteed the following morning.
The band left the stage, leaving Brandon to bask in the glory of a triumphant tour. But, this wasn’t just a chance for him to take the accolades. Although he told me he was just “a guy with a guitar”, he took the chance to keep trying to be the difference. “Stay as free as you can,” he implored. “Don’t bow down to anyone. This is what it’s about, this community of music. This is our lives!”
It wrapped up a great gig. Not necessarily polished or pristine, but honest, passionate and alive. Much like Spear of Destiny themselves.
