Demob Happy
– GULLIVER’S, MANCHESTER –
It’s a rather windy night as I catch the train to the ever impressively bustling city of Manchester, looking forward to a gang of Geordies putting on a heavy, sweaty and no doubt exciting show.
Accompanied by yet another beautiful female companion, I have no idea why she agreed to come with me but I’ll take it, we wander down Oldham Street hoping to find the venue for the evening. Finally finding the small yet warm and cottage-like boozer we get some drinks and head up the narrow, crooked stairs to a shockingly tiny room on the second floor.
With the second support act Yonaka closing their set early due to some technical issues, the anticipation grows as I finish my third Heineken, a fond favourite of mine at most gigs. It’s twenty to ten now and Demob Happy finally shuffle through the crowd, which wasn’t massive despite the claustrophobic nature of the space, and take their positions.
They launch straight into ‘Suffer You’, one of my favourite tracks from their excellent 2015 debut album Dream Soda. Their influences cement in my head even more so live, its apparent they are huge fans of Queens Of The Stone Age and this is reflected in the energetic and rigorous guitar playing of Renni and Barry. The heaviness provided by frontman/bass player Matt, and superb hard hitting drumming from Tom, makes for a great blend of a loud, almost heart attack inducing rock n roll, with some fantastic vocals and harmonies.
It’s a great starter, made even better with a rendition of another favourite of mine from their album, the coolly titled “Haat De Stank”. It’s no use/crying over spilt juice. Brilliant. It puts me in a good mood and instantly tells me despite only being two songs in, this band have a lot to offer the somewhat fledgling British music scene.
Cracking on with more monster tunes, there is some intense moshing going on up top. Three friends, flying and bashing into each other with great pace and power. Its a sight to behold. Almsot every fella in here has long ass hair, including myself, a sea of greasy locks spitting and swaying in the hot and sweaty air when Demob go into heavy choruses of songs like “Man You’re Wrong” and “Succubus”. Its a fabulous spectacle.
Everyone loves headbanging and moshing, and it’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt. Well, sadly that’s exactly what happened. A lad in a white t-shirt part of this trio accidentally knocked Matt’s microphone stand up and it subsequently knocks him the in the chops. I freeze, half expecting guitarist Renni who looks incensed to drop kick the lunatic who is know not surprisingly sheepishly standing in the corner, out of breath and it seems out of friends when it comes to the boys on stage. Tom the drummer shouting down the microphone something like “Alright boys calm the fuck down!” I laugh, not for the pain of Matt who later said he was sound after instantly thinking he had chipped a tooth, but at the three passionate fans who now stand still and embarrassed.
Finishing the set with a song which just screams Nirvana, ‘Young And Numb’, they jump off stage gasping for breath after a blistering and shortish set which lit the small pub on the corner of Oldham Street alight. It was a fantastic gig and I wish nothing but the best for Demob as they continue to positively baffle audiences on the rest of their tour. Great job boys!
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Liverpool born music writer with passion for punk and Everton FC
