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Mindless Self Indulgence - 24th April 2008 - Manchester Academy 2
Support - Templeton Pek
First up are Birmingham three-piece Templeton Pek, whose set contains the odd moment of brilliance, most notably the prog-tined anthem 'Vessel.' This song plays like a more melodic Fightstar, with the addition of a soaring chorus and some unique vocal work. The backing vocalist sounds oddly like The Automatic's ex-keyboardist Pennie, and Templeton Pek hardly try to disguise this fact. Throughout almost every song, his hoarse scream play against the main vocals in that style so distinctive of The Automatic. Templeton Pek are certainly a band with many interesting ideas thrown into the mix, and even if these don't always gel as well as they could, when everything does click into place it makes for some pretty impressive listening.
It's obvious as soon as Mindless Self Indulgence step onstage that this is to be no ordinary rock show, as guitarist Steve Right? appears draped in a Union Jack, closely followed by vocalist Jimmy Urine, wrapped up in white cloth. As the electro opening of alternative club-hit 'Shut Me Up' stutters over the speakers, Urine whips the cloth away to reveal that, tonight, he's come onstage in just his underpants. We never find out why, but the tone for tonight is well and truly set.
The last slap sound-effect of 'Shut Me Up' is still ricocheting across the packed Academy floor as MSI launch into the electro-funk of 'Mastermind' and banish any doubts that they might have peaked too early. For the next hour and a half, MSI serve up slices of skewed electro-punk, including a whopping six songs off upcoming album 'If.' Two of these have been given an airing as singles, and a few others are old live-favorites spruced up for the studio. However, it's clear the majority of tonight's crowd have never heard these songs before, as they fall suddenly silent. Whereas this might be where other shows collapse, MSI compensate for all the new material by pumping even more energy into their performance. Soon, the crowd are bouncing along to the instantly-infectious RnB groove of 'Mastermind' and pumping their fists in the air for the surprisingly heavy 'Animal' like these are the songs they've been waiting for all night.
It's impossible not to be caught up in MSI's enthusiasm, as bassist LynZ clambers up onto the crowd for the finale of 'Bitches,' and Urine tears around the stage in his usual ADD style. What makes tonight so electrifying is often not their irritatingly-addictive alt-rock, but the fact that they are equal part band and equal part cabaret act. The set highlight isn't a song, but the spectacle of Urine demanding the "bootleggers" in the audience help him record a Youtube message from himself now, to himself in the future. This message turns out to be a cover of Madonna's 'Crazy For You,' with slightly modified lyrics, ending with the mind-boggling cry of "now let's start a wrestling team!" It's here that this show becomes something special, because there are only so many times you can hear a band demanding the audience to "scream for me, Manchester!" The Academy is something of a revolving door of bands (the trio of rooms can play host up to three headlining acts on any given night), and it takes something special to stand out from the crowd. But tonight, MSI make originality look easy.
Musically, MSI are on top form, sounding impossibly tight. Set-closer 'I Hate Jimmy Page' is particularly ferocious, and 'Pay For It' sounds like a call to arms. The setlist draws mostly from latest album 'If,' an unnecessary risk considering MSI's extensive back catalogue, but one that's understandable considering how extensively they've toured with their previous material. When heard next to the tried-and-tested fan-favorites, the new material sounds slicker, more accessible, but just as mental as ever. 'Issues' has an impossible-to-stand-still-to groove, and the willfully-dumb 'Lights Out' gets the whole room bouncing. If these songs are anything to go by, 'If' could be the album that introduces MSI to the mainstream.
But the deal-clincher comes at the end of the show. After putting 110% into their performance, every member of the band comes back out to meet and greet fans at the barriers. For the next half an hour they autograph everything put in front of them, dole out hugs, pose for photographs, and chat to fans who can't quite seem to believe their luck. In the end, the thing that made tonight so great was the band's refusal to play by the rules. Whereas other bands sneak out the back exit to avoid the ten hardcore fans who've stayed behind in the hope of meeting their heroes, MSI are wandering around venues after their shows, putting the finishing touches to a truly unique night.
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