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THREE years after their last Green Door Store appearance, Slaves returned as stars.

A young and devoted following turned out to salute the stripped-down Kent punk duo on the eve of the release of Take Control, the hotly-anticipated follow-up to 2015’s Mercury Music Prize-nominated debut album Are You Satisfied?

Conceived by vocalist and drummer Isaac Holman, their Back In The Van tour of small venues was a chance for the band to reward fans who have supported them from the beginning.

Anyone expecting a rehearsal of new material for an upcoming tour of larger venues would have been sorely disappointed.

This was a return to their roots - a nostalgic trip back to where it all began.

The set opened with furious renditions of both Nervous Energy and Suicide, from 2012’s self-released EP Sugar Coated Bitter Truth (the cover of which was shot in Green Door Store way back when).

Slaves’ raucous live performances are legendary, and they did not disappoint. Bodies were flung across the venue’s cobbled dance floor all night long, lubricated with sweat, beer and raw adrenaline.

Introducing new song Rich Man, guitarist Laurie Vincent unleashed a war cry of "F*** Brexit." The band’s socially-conscious lyrics may lack the nuance of battle-hardened contemporaries Sleaford Mods but their songs are powerful, cathartic and resonate with their largely young, disenfranchised fans. And, crucially, they're served with a healthy dose of humour and self-awareness.

Spit It Out was the only other taster of the new album, with the likes of Cheer Up London, Sockets and Hey receiving the sort of euphoric reception you’d expect from a small gathering of hardcore admirers.

Set-closer The Hunter’s ominous rejection of the establishment ("You can keep it, we don’t want it") heralded the sort of stage invasion reserved only for bands that define whole generations.

Tom Furnival-Adams