Live Review - Ugly Kid Joe

Ugly Kid Joe @ Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton 08/11/16

It’s a cold, wet, rainy night in Wolverhampton and making the journey from base camp to the Slade Rooms was slow going. When we arrived at the venue we were greeted by Gav the tour manager, who is just starting to let in the guys and girls who have signed up for the “meet and greet” package. There’s a huge controversy surrounding this VIP practise, but a lot can be said for these meet and greet offers with bands and we at Hush aren’t always for it- but, Ugly Kid Joe seem to be doing it right, the fans are having a blast getting things signed , taking photos, chatting with all the band members and getting a few freebies. It’s genuinely enjoyable to see a band interact with their fans and both sides enjoying it so much. It’s a relaxed small meeting and the pass holder get to first stake a claim at the barrier spots, worth an extra couple of quid surely. After a brief wait we go backstage to have a chat with founding member and guitarist Klaus (which will be coming very soon) and then it was on to the gig…

Ugly Kid Joe take to the stage with an air of confidence and enthusiasm that is always something we seem to pick up on with the older, more established bands. The gig was moved from original venue the Wulfrun Hall to the smaller Slade Rooms where the crowd, although not huge, is in fine form and frontman Whitfield Crane has them in the palm of his hand from the get go.

Mixing between well known songs from the first E.P ‘As Ugly As They Wanna Be’ and album ‘America’s Least Wanted’  to new songs from the latest records ‘Stairway to Hell’ and ‘Uglier Than They Used To Be’ Ugly Kid Joe have a sound that is still unique and play old songs and new with the same energy and passion as ever, and that is reciprocated with the same tenacity by the crowd. U.K.J may be perceived by some as a one (or maybe two) hit wonder with their jokey manner, whitty lyrics and attitude, but U.K.J are serious musicians who obviously take a lot of pride in their craft and on stage they are actually fantastic to watch. 

Ugly Kid Joe may no longer be selling out arenas but a smaller venue almost seems to suit them better, they’re raw and powerful onstage and have a close connection to the crowd and each other, which is shown in the more tender moments of the set (during the acoustic period for example).