Slade are a band whose fortunes have always ebbed and flowed, but their explosive live shows never dropped below what can be deemed “stellar”. By the time they hit London’s New Victoria theatre in April 1975 their commercial fortunes had started to wane, yet on stage they still were unrivalled, and if evidence were needed to their untouchability, then it is right here in Live At The New Victoria. Originally released as part of the 2022 box set All The World Is A Stage, it finally gets a stand-alone release, and thoroughly deserved it is too.

There’s nothing quite like the warm sound of vinyl played at earthshaking volume and when it’s Slade on the turntable, well, life doesn’t get much better. It’s precisely that aesthetic into which this set taps, and if proof were ever required to the boot-stompin’ power of Slade then it’s immediately apparent in opening shot ‘Them Kinda Monkeys Can’t Swing’. Introduced by Noddy Holder’s wonderfully raspy howl and a drum roll from Don Powell, Slade hit the ground running and don’t look back for the next 60 minutes. It sounds as if the band have recently discovered slide guitar because Noddy and Dave Hill are all over the fretboard like a rash, and it certainly adds an air of urgency and excitement, and along with ‘The Bangin’ Man’ makes a one-two punch that can’t be beat.

Live At The New Victoria captures Slade exactly as they should be caught; there’s been very little retrospective tinkering here, and this exactly how the band sounded on the night, in that tight-but-loose way only Slade can. However, my only (minor) complaint is that the audience are buried deep in the mix, they sound distant and far (far) away. In 1975 the furore surrounding Slade verged on Beatlemania and the hysterical screaming that accompanied their appearances often threatened to drown out the band. Their (virtual) absence sounds a little strange, but on the flip side it brings the band’s musicianship to the fore and ‘How Does It Feel’ evidences a compact unit who lock in like a series of interconnecting cogs.

A cover of the Rosco Gordon-penned ‘Just A Little Bit’ evidences Noddy as the ultimate showman and he works the crowd perfectly. It’s a hard and punchy version and illustrates why the band became favourites with the heavy metal crowd in the early 1980s. When Slade were cooking there wasn’t a band in the country (or, indeed, the world) who could touch them and Live At The New Victoria finds them boiling hot. Another cover appears in the shape of ‘Let The Good Times Roll’ which does exactly what it says on the tin, but the cherry on the cake (or the mirror on the hat) is undoubtedly ‘Mama Weer All Crazee Now’ which brings the house down, and in some style.

At one stage in the 1970s, Slade were the biggest band in the land and their song writing chops ensured them a legacy that still resonates to this day. Diverse artists such as The Ramones, Twisted Sister and Oasis cite them as an influence, and if you want to know why, look no further than Live At The New Victoria.

• Live At The New Victoria is released via BMG on 23rd February 2024.
• Official Website

Track List:

Vinyl Version:

Side A:

1. Them Kinda Monkeys Can’t Swing
2. The Bangin’ Man
3. Gudbuy T’Jane

Side B:

4. Far Far Away
5. Thanks For The Memory (Wham Bam Thank You Mam)
6. How Does It Feel

Side C:

7. Just A Little Bit
8. Everyday
9. OK Yesterday Was Yesterday

Side D:

10. Raining in My Champagne
11. Let The Good Times Roll
12. Mama Weer All Crazee Now

CD Version:

As vinyl, tracks 1 through 12