Lick Online - Live

18th February - King Tuts

With the release of their first full-length album in over five years, Capdown have exploded back onto the UK tour scene armed with new material, a new member and a new zest for live performance. Lick Magazine sits down with singer and saxophonist Jake Simms-Fielding for a laid-back mid tour chat.

"This feels like a new start to be honest" says the surprisingly mild-mannered front man of the band's latest offering 'Wind Up Toys'. "We wanted to release a record that we knew our fans would like whilst introducing them to new aspects of the music that we're interested in. We've got a fifth member of the band now so I think the sound has changed quite a bit. We've been doing this a long time so we just wanted to experiment with the sound a bit."

Capdown started as four school friends growing up in a small town outside Milton-Keynes. They first graced our stages 6 years ago as a ska-punk outfit renowned for both their high-energy live shows and their unfaltering work ethic. Playing up to 250 shows in a year they have built up a huge fan base in the UK, Europe and Japan. So, why the five year break?

"The scene was changing a lot," explains Simms-Fielding. "We played a ridiculous amount of shows to support our first two records and wanted to take a bit of time out. A lot of people had commented a couple of years ago that the live show wasn't as aggressive or as energetic. I think that that energy is back."

First up were Surrey six-piece The JB Conspiracy, a good solid ska outfit that put in a fun, lively performance. Enjoyable, but nothing to write home about. Howard's Alias were next to grace the stage with their ear-grabbing take on reggae-rock. Opening with fan favourite 'Rabbit In Headlights' they continued through a flowing, riff-laden set. Not even a 10-minute setback with the bass amp could stop front man Matthew Reynolds striving to entertain the crowd, promptly launching into an impromptu rendition of the Postman Pat theme tune. A great set from a very professional band.

Three hours after his claim that Capdown had re-found their passion for live performance, Simms-Fielding eagerly proved it. Racing around the humble King Tut's stage, he worked the packed room like a seasoned pro. A seamless blend of old and new kept the crowd, and the band, bouncing and singing along throughout the hour-long performance and made sure no one in the venue was let down.