Photo: Jay Russell

Live Review: Bokassa + Florence Black – The Underworld, London

It’s certainly been a minute since we saw the self-proclaimed kings of stonerpunk back in the UK. In fact, it was December 2019 and little did we know what was ahead of us. Fast forward almost two whole years and they are back once again for an electric Friday night in Camden Town armed with a ‘Molotov Rocktail’ to whet the whistle of those in attendance who have potentially been somewhat ‘cold turkey’ on the live music front.

Bokassa are not the only ones who are bringing new material to the stage tonight however. It feels like Florence Black have been around forever, yet material from their debut record ‘Weight Of The World’ is obviously on showcase tonight having only just been released last month. It’s a nice weighty warm up with some serious fan love on display for a band who are getting some much-deserved recognition. The part feels like its really kicking off however as they finish with a decent cover of Budgies ‘Breadfan’, a perfect Segway into what’s to come.

Our headliners make their way to the stage armed with none other than Marks & Spencer’s pina colada in a can. “Down in one” frontman Jørn Kaarstad humorously brags like the hero we’ve come to know and love. It’s a sign of what’s to come. A fun filled evening with top notch banter and some serious riffs. A whopping 1 hour and 40 minutes of them. The kings of stonerpunk are here for a good time and my god are we all here for it. It’s been a long time for plenty in the crowd no doubt with the last two years of live music having been on hold.

Photo: Jay Russell

There’s no shortage of songs in the band’s setlist, with all three albums being very well represented throughout, with plenty of opportunities to sing along to your favourite ‘whoas’, for there are many. Captain Cold One? Check! So Long, Idiots? Double Check! We could go on, but you get the picture, no doubt. Truth is, it was an absolute monster of a setlist that likely included your favourite Bokassa song, including a couple of deep cuts for the OG fans in the house.

There may be a sense of caution in the crowd all things considered but it’s a feel-good set of anthems making it almost impossible not to get involved whether it be singing along or nodding your head to that unmistakable Bokassa groove with the new songs slotting into the set wonderfully.

It’s been an evening with Bokassa. It’s been one that every single person in that room needed more than ever. At this point, it feels as though we have been deprived for so long that any live music would have sufficed, the mere fact we had Bokassa live at The Underworld on a Friday night was an absolute jackpot and I for one couldn’t have thought of anything better to come back to.

Photo: Jay Russell