Ska Sensation Porkpie Rocks Liverpool’s O2 Academy: A Night of Non-Stop Skanking, Classics, and Crowd Energy

Review: Porkpie at the O2 Academy, Liverpool – 1 November

Despite major sound issues with malfunctioning monitors, which left the lead skanker unable to hear the band and caused an early mid-set break, it was still a fantastic gig on Saturday at Liverpool’s O2 Academy!

The scene was set, and the bar was high when Pretty Green, a three-piece band (drummer, lead, and bass guitar), took to the stage to warm up the crowd for headliners Porkpie. Their repertoire, consisting of covers of classic and more obscure Jam tracks for the die-hard fans, transported the audience back to the punk-rock, mod era, as the 21-year-old lead singer hauntingly sounded very similar to the Modfather himself, Paul Weller. The crowd were in raptures during and after their set; I’m sure Weller would have been proud of what he’d heard, played, and sung had he been there. Fantastic!

Porkpie, hailing from Scotland, had a huge following of fans who had travelled from north of the border to the “music capital of the world” in unwavering support. This posse continually interacted with the band, which made the atmosphere more friendly and intimate. Porkpie is now a band regularly selling out venues, with a fan base growing month on month. Their current UK tour, ‘Bouncing off the Wall,’ heightened the crowd’s electric atmosphere even further with their energy and accomplished musicianship, playing a selection of ska songs from The Beat, Bad Manners, The Selecter, Madness, and The Specials.

The crowd was at fever pitch throughout the ninety-minute set—not only due to the venue’s heat (the stage must have been uncomfortably hot for the eight-piece band) but also from skanking (dancing) and encouraging the audience to join in. Not that the crowd of “rude boys” needed much encouragement; from the outset of the first track, ‘Lorraine,’ it was clear the audience was in for a night of pure entertainment.

The band displayed ultimate professionalism throughout the gig. The brass section was phenomenal—playing while dancing—but the trumpet player in particular stole the show with his energetic dancing and lively performance on stage. The keyboard player was equally entertaining—who wouldn’t want to be at his party? He exuded a cool yet thrilling and fun vibe.

This was a truly fantastic concert that epitomised the ska sound! If you’re embracing the ska revival, looking for value for money, and want to see a band exude immense energy and intensity, then book tickets directly via the band or venue’s website for the remainder of their tour, and prepare for a night of unadulterated singing and skanking.