Thursday 15/04/04 Senser @ Barfly, Liverpool

Before Limp Bizkit and a thousand other dunderheads hijacked rap metal to serve it bloatedly up to the no-brainer culture that the genre initially set out to lambaste, Senser along with Rage Against the Machine were at its political, cutting edge.

Anti fascist, anti racist and pro positive thinking, this curious crusty mix of the Stereo MC’s, Consolidated and RATM were mainstays of the festival circuit until front man, Heitham, decided that he’s had enough and Brit Pop happened.  As a tidal wave of ‘Cool Britannia’ swept the land, there just didn’t seem to be (rightly or wrongly) a place for Senser.  But with the worrying rise of the BNP in Burnley and widespread anger at ‘The Coalitions’ action in Iraq, its clear that Senser see that the times are a changing bad again and are back with the original line up, a new album in ‘Schematic’ and a point to make.

Ok, so they may not have youth on their side (the fresh faced Heitham apart), but make no mistake, the polemic's still strong and retains a real resonance almost 10 years on.  Both ‘No Comply’ and ‘Age of Panic’ from 1994’s ‘Stacked Up’ have a driving dynamic and bite, whilst ‘Switch’ still sounds fresh & funky, like Michael Franti caught between The Disposable Heroes and Spearhead.

Departing with an incendiary tear through ‘Eject’, Senser look genuinely pleased to be back.  The interplay between Heitham & vocalist Kirsten, the band and the fans (“this is the best gig we’ve played here, this town usually hates us”) is re-assuringly lively, proving that there might be life in the old dog yet.

Photos by Sakura Henderson