Skloss / Troy The Band / Autohaus @ Ramsgate Music Hall, 5th May 2025
Usually, as bank holidays go, I tend to spend them working whenever possible. The idea of an unplanned day off just isn’t a luxury I can afford most of the time, so I’ve gotten into the habit of working through them. This bank holiday, however, was very different indeed, and for once, my unscheduled day off was a truly magical experience to have witnessed.
What made it so was the fact that Skloss were due to play at my favourite venue on the whole planet, the Ramsgate Music Hall in Kent. Adding to the fact that it was going to be yet another killer Mother Brain show, and that, alongside Skloss, would be London act Troy The Band and local noisniks Autohaus, both of whom would lay the groundwork for the main act to swagger in and blow the roof off the venue completely.
One thing that always makes a show more magical for me is when the universe intervenes and shakes the whole plan up, to add an air of mystery to the whole experience.
Well, for me, Skloss at Ramsgate Music Hall did just that, and as fate would have it, I had a couple of special friends with me for the evening, Alwin and Simone of Dutch desert rockers Drive By Wire, so I already knew before we entered the venue that it would be an absolute blast, and oh boy was it that, and so much more.
Unfortunately, due to timing restraints, we didn’t get to see Autohaus in all their full glory, as they were finishing up by the time we got there, but from what we could overhear, they had been incredible. Local favourites, the band had powered through an impassioned performance and set the bar very high.
After a brief interval to reset the stage, it was Troy The Band’s turn to ramp up the heat. The quartet wasted no time in unleashing their brand of ear-splitting stoner doom, and as they played through the tracks, the intensity of the ritual was overwhelming for some. I’ve always appreciated the adage that ‘if it is too loud, you are too old’, and by Christ was it face melting at times.
This is the thing, in smaller venues, unless you are prepared for an intense outpouring, compacted by the snug surroundings, it can feel quite mind-numbing. I’ve never found it to be an issue personally, and in all my fifty years, it’s never stopped me from watching a band for their entire set. Long standing patrons of Ramsgate Music Hall will testify to its immersive atmosphere, which, in part, is due to an awesome sound set-up, and it’s easier to feel part of the experience, more than merely a casual bystander.
Working with a backdrop of their signature quirky dancing cowboy on the screen throughout, the band hammered hit after hit on the unsuspecting audience, and in doing so, created an environment which was primed and ready for action by the time Skloss hit the stage at 9.30.
Leaving in their wake a bamboozled crowd, Troy The Band must have felt a sense of mission accomplished, and for me personally, I hope they return sometime very soon.
Getting to the front at a show can sometimes feel like being shunted about, obviously no one wants to willingly give up their space or view for anyone, especially not for some goon with a camera in hand, and for tonight that did seem to be the case right from the off.
As the band were setting up, I separated from my friends to try and get a closer view, and perhaps a good vantage point to see this relatively unknown entity that is Skloss, but as much as I tried, the front of this smaller venue was already blocked by other like-minded souls. So, I accepted my fate, got myself prepared, and watched as the duo took to the stage, and proceeded to fine tune ready to perform for us all.
Wasting no time setting the scene, the pair of husband and wife Karen Skloss and Sandy Carson, working in unison, enveloped the duo. They invited us into their sonic plateau, got us prepped, and then blasted off into the stratosphere with a wall of sound so mesmerising that all we could do was stand in amazement at the band’s presence. This brand of musical astronomy, the likes of which I’ve never been in such close quarters with before, had me pinned to the spot, each and every fuzzy bar rang through like a pulse of symbiotic evolution, and over the course of an hour, they captivated the entire audience.
As for the set itself, it was an exploration into the bands space gazey alternative sounding craziness, and along the way it covered pretty much the whole of their debut album, The Pattern Speaks, so was always destined to include such monolithic moments such as Mind Hive, Imagine 100 Dads, and the track that introduced me to the band, the absolutely phenomenal The Pattern Speaks.
As a bystander you couldn’t help but notice that throughout, the duo seemed to drift off into their own little plane of existence musically, and it was such an immersive vibe flowing from the stage you couldn’t help but get sucked in too. There genuinely were extended moments of eyes closed serenity, a feeling of weightlessness as they carried us on an epic journey.
By the time Skloss finished, it was obvious that the whole room was in awe, and as they exited the stage, all that was left was to come to terms with what an incredible night it had been. Great bands, great venue, and a great atmosphere, what else could you ask for? Keep an eye open for Skloss, they are like Pokémon, catch ‘em if you can, they really are something special indeed.
Skloss
Words & Photos by: Lee Beamish
