LIVE REVIEW & GALLERY: Benefits @ Bear Tree Records, Sheffield
While Benefits most definitely aren’t for the faint of heart, they’re one of the most passionate, politically conscious bands you’ll find. This isn’t easy music to listen to, but it’s not meant to be. This is a voice for the deprived, for those who live in fear that their benefits will be cut and their lifelines taken away. It’s for the blue-collar workers putting in every hour they can, yet still barely scraping together enough to afford the necessities.
Benefits are a powerful statement. They’re relevant. Their words resonate. Their sound leaves a huge, haunting impression. This isn’t music for a Sunday evening wind-down. This is music to get you ready for a fight. A fight for what you believe in. A fight for what’s right. It’s some of the most scathing social commentary you’ll hear. This is music with a massive heart and an even bigger bite.
Their in-store show at Bear Tree Records in Sheffield was everything I expected and more. Frontman Kingsley Hall’s spoken-word delivery was packed with grit and passion. Words were snarled through clenched teeth, berating the government, particularly the far-right movement, and calling out poverty, social divides, and injustice. It was a hard listen. My friend proved this by leaving mid-set. These are the kinds of words people want to turn away from. You want to stay wrapped in your comfortable bubble and pretend it’s not happening. The contrast between myself and my friend showed the profound impact of Benefits’ music. There are those who hear the words and have to turn away, and then there are those who absorb every line and leave feeling intellectually enriched and acutely aware.
The band, hailing from Teesside, one of the UK’s most deprived areas, know all too well the struggles of the working class. They’ve seen firsthand how cuts to benefits, pensions, and blue-collar jobs affect their community. But there is pride there too. As much as they see the flaws, they’re immensely proud of their roots and revel in the glory of where they come from and the people who live there. That’s what makes their music even more relevant. They’re not some middle-class band shouting for impact. They’re reliving their own lives and retelling things they’ve lived through. It’s truly harrowing stuff.
Yet within all this passion and rage, there’s a wonderful sense of humility. The rambling dialogue between songs showed nerves. This was the band’s first in-store gig, and you could tell they had no idea what they were doing. But you could also tell how happy they were to be there, to have a crowd of maybe 50 people hanging off their every word.
Musically, Benefits are an intricate web of sound. Pounding industrial noise, distorted beats, layers of static and drone, all underpin Hall’s furious delivery. A punk poet. A preacher. At times, the music feels mellow and self-aware. At others, it churns or pulses with something almost danceable. I found myself drawn to Robbie Major’s intricate pedal work. Every sound was meticulously placed, scraping and distorted to deliver maximum impact and create the perfect backdrop to Kingsley’s words. The occasional violin elevated the sound even further, bringing moments of grace and majestic calm to the sea of rage the crowd was being confronted with.
In both sound and impact, Benefits sit somewhere between Sleaford Mods, Death Grips, and early industrial punk. There are echoes of IDLES’ intensity, but Benefits are far less polished. This music is not built for comfort. It is built to provoke, to challenge, to shake you up. It has a conscience. It is driven by genuine, authentic passion. It wears its heart on its sleeve. It gives a voice to the voiceless and says the things the rest of us are thinking. It is truly incredible. I left the gig feeling every emotion possible.
The band told the crowd that the road to the album had been long, filled with ups and downs, with moments they felt like giving up. I am so glad they didn’t. The tour coincided with the release of their Constant Noise album, which had come out just the day before, on 21 March. This is music that needs to be heard. These are messages for the people. Messages that share their fury, that empower, that haunt, that disturb, that comfort.
If you get the chance to see Benefits, do it. Don’t be like my friend. Don’t turn away when you hear things you’d rather pretend don’t exist. Embrace the noise. Embrace the message. You’ll leave with an enriched sense of self, a deeper understanding, and an immense sense of fight. This is some of the most immersive, intense music you’ll hear. Benefits are quite possibly one of the most relevant and important bands around at the moment. Their show at Bear Tree was everything and more.
Shot on Samsung S25 Ultra
