Capitalist downfall

It’s an unusual setting for Capdown’s final gig, skin heads and punks looking incredibly out of place in the theatrical grandeur of KOKO. For years these veterans of the UK ska scene (and perhaps the only good thing ever to come out of Milton Keynes) have toured the country’s basements, only now, at the end, getting the recognition and large scale venues they deserve.

Up and coming stars of the UK scene – The Skints – provide an excellent warm up set, throwing in numerous classic ska tracks among their own East London reggae stylings. Here is a band certainly fit to takeover where Capdown leave off but in my eyes it’s all about the headliners tonight.

Finally at 9pm Capdown storm the stage, a single opening sax riff setting the crowd in immediate motion. They may have returned from hiatus but the band who famously played over 250 gigs in a year have clearly lost none of their live edge.

Unsurprisingly (and much to the crowd’s delight), older tracks such as ‘Ska Wars’ and ‘Cousin Cleotis’ form the majority of the set but even tunes from the lesser acclaimed ‘Wind Up Toys’ album get a final seeing off, still generating roars from the crowd and sizeable circle pits.

As you would expect from a last gig, crowd interaction is top priority and vocalist Jake does not disappoint, at one point splitting the crowd and making his way into the middle before disappearing amongst a horde of fans from both sides of a charging wall of death.

When it’s all over genuine sadness appears to take over the crowd, the final gig of a band I grew up with is certainly momentous. Then again I was there at home in MK for the previous ‘last ever’ gig. I’ll always have my fingers crossed.