“Ignore cartoon fascists. Reject hate. Learn about things you don’t understand,” begins Benefits vocalist Kingsley Hall amid a wall of noise. Describing themselves as an “issues-based music collective” from Teesside, the quartet is essentially a vehicle for Hall’s polemic. He dissects the state of the nation with a particular focus on the drift toward nationalism and populism over the last decade. During the day, the frontman-cum-punk poet divides his time between a factory job and caring for his young daughter. There are few such characters in pop music in 2023, which may be why his unsigned, unmanaged band is gaining traction. He’s also an oddly magnetic performer. With his severe crop, black hoodie and shorts, he’s like an angry skinhead with balletic dance moves.
Hall is flanked by synth players Robbie and Hugh Major while former Mogwai live drummer Cat Myers beats out rhythms. Their mix of electronica and narrative is slightly comparable to Sleaford Mods but Benefits are more uncompromising and brutal. At times, it’s hard to work out whether they’re hardcore punk, performance art, avant-industrial noise or an angry man ranting. In fact, they can be all these things, sometimes within a single song. Hall’s voice is paramount, so it’s a shame that this venue’s acoustics make many of his words unintelligible. The best: “The Red Arrows screaming past as the homeless pile up / But where is my puffed-out chest? Why don’t I feel like all the rest?”, juxtapose imagery to paint a compelling snapshot of a divided country.
In songs such as Shit Britain or Divide and be Conquered, electro grooves make Hall’s rage danceable. At times, they can also become a barrage, an electronic blunderbuss. Hall suddenly breaks off to talk about his anxieties and difficulties in daily life: “I sound angry but I’m not angry. I’m vulnerable.” Hopefully, he will find a way to put this in the music, rely less on F-words and become more tuneful without losing any power. Benefits aren’t yet the finished article but Hall’s voice needs to be heard.
