The Beat Surrender

It was a shame that the hall was less than half full when Mumm_ra came on, the music is fairly quiet anyway but with better lighting and more of an audience, I think they would have come across stronger. The spinning duck confused me but apparently is the bands mascot “Matthew the Duck”. Most songs went down well but best of all was “Out of the Question” and the new single out on 19th February “What will Steve do”. They are competent musically and vocally but didn’t look like they were about to set the world on fire, however for me got the night off to a good start.

Next up The Horrors, strangely I could write the most about this band but not because I liked them. The five piece from London may have been called shock rockers by some in the press but for me insults and spitting at the audience don’t do it. (Seen it all before, yes giving my approximate age away I do remember well the punk era and then it did shock but not now) A good start to the entrance on stage, pitch black, loud music, all the band in black, however the entrance of the front man Farris Rotter complete with a string of coloured balloons puzzled me (he looked like he may have nicked them when he got his Happy Meal before the gig). I liked a couple of the numbers “Jack the Ripper (or Reaper if you listened to the singing)” and “Count in Fives”. The set also included “A Train Roars”, “Sheena is a Parasite” (my nieces favourite, but she is only 14). Musically ok, vocals poor and the sound system didn’t help, everything sounded strangely distorted but not in a planned way. Which I couldn’t say for the overall performance.

I felt they were probably ok lads who are trying too hard to impress and stick to a script prepare by the stylist/manager. Not sure, that leaving the stage before the last song was finished was part of the act or a reaction to the boos/insults and assorted liquids being thrown at the stage. Perhaps they should have told the synth player (or at least I think that what he was doing hard to say because he had his back to the hall all the way through). He alone seemed to carry on after the others walked off, then looked around noticed he was alone and ran off. Debut album out on 26th February, “Strange House”, not sure I would buy it but wouldn’t mind listening to see if the wonders of modern recording can tidy up the vocals.

Next up The View, who are apparently on fire! I don’t know about on fire, a bit of a smoulder for me. Kyle Falconer (he’s the front man with the upside down mop hair style) can hold a tune and the sound is different enough to make them stand out from the crowd for now. The whole place went wild for Wasted Little DJ and Same Jeans and this carried them through the other numbers “The Don Grans for Tea”, “Waistlands”, “Posh Boys” and closing with “Superstar Tradesman”. Only time will tell if these are one hit wonders or if they can carry the success they have had to a second album, I wait with baited breath.

At this point, an observer could have been mistaken for thinking the gig had ended as the downstairs hall almost cleared. I think a few went for more beer to throw at the security in front of the stage (points for who hit the bald headed guy the most) However just as The Automatic came on the place filled up a little. I’d gone with a bit of a pre conception as to who I’d like thinking Mumm_ra then The View with possibley The Automatic or The Horrors last.

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