Original bands, original music from Lincoln & Beyond

The Happy Mirrors + Ainsley & The Pornstars + Tenderhooks + Craine + The Saved

Wednesday, 08 September 2010

The Mezz Bar, Lincoln

03 November 2007

Review by Joe Mac

Now I’ve been to the Mezz Bar on many an occasion and what the venue lacks in its out-of-the-way location (in the Mezzino apartments, turn left at McDonalds on the roundabout) it makes up for with promoter Chris Martin’s enthusiasm. A keen music lover, he finds time to cram at least 4 bands into a schedule every week, though sometimes this can make timings difficult on the night. Knowing this, I should have turned up half an hour earlier, but instead missed opening band, The Saved. Many apologies to them and I will try and review their demo if they send me a copy.

I arrived just in time for Craine, a 5 piece indie band from Sheffield. They have a bass amp big enough to trouble the new Wembley stadium, and aspirations to match. They are a good looking, well-styled band and their songs sound quite nice on myspace, aiming for that tried-and-tested U2/Coldplay commercial jugular. Tonight though, the bass and guitar sound spoils their intentions. Though technically proficient, the decibels and feedback are enough to make your eardrums bleed. All in all, passionate and intense stuff from Craine, but they sound like a million other bands `on a quest` to be the next U2 of soft indie rock.

Any aural cobwebs are thankfully brushed away when Tenderhooks emerge sheepishly onto the stage. The Nottingham trio are casually dressed and give off a homely, immensely likeable aura from the off, displaying none of the pretensions of Craine. They play upbeat-but-angry punk pop that one imagines The Undertones would approve of. Tanktop sporting frontman Chris Ward stamps his feet and sweats over his guitar strings, bobbing with energy like a young Paul Weller. Tenderhooks deserve a bigger crowd than the cluster of drinkers at the bar and assorted bands. Songs like `Textbook Tears` are bittersweet Buzzcocks-ian slices of brilliance. If this bunch can tighten up a bit, they could be working class heroes. They finished and I was left wanting to hear more.

Inbetween bands, Happy Mondays and Interpol blast out of the bar’s PA, courtesy of resident DJ Martin, and a few big haired trendy girls make up the numbers for what is essentially `a bit of a dead` night. I anticipate the next band, intrigued by the bizarre risqué name, and drink in the funny looks you get writing in notepads at bars. The whiskey’s not bad either.

If Tenderhooks were homely blokes from Nottingham, then follow up, Ainsley & The Pornstars are ebullient nymphos from Mars, clad in satin flares and mirrorball shirts. There’s a clicking sound as everyone’s jaws hit the floor (blonde, hotpant-sporting bassists are rare at the Mezzbar!) The band have our attentions in their grasp and expectations are high as a sleazy funk sample leads into first song, `Devil Made Me Do It`. The band borrow heavily, nay steal, from 70’s glam bands such as Alice Cooper, Queen, and The Sweet. What a marvellously peculiar band, bejewelled frontman Ainsley bantering with a surly crowd as though they were his best friends; “We’re from Sheffield but we’re not the Arctic Monkeys” Never a truer word was said!

Songs like `Bitch of a Ginger Man` raise many smiles and score high on the hilarity stakes.. It’s very easy to like the Pornstars, just a shame that they are more than a tiny bit cheesy and naff. They may well be from Sheffield, or space even, but their sound is much akin to an under-developed Darkness. A band that will give you a goodtime half hour of enjoyment, but don’t expect to commit to them.

Ainsley and his gang have left me with a big smile on my face, only furthered by winning a game of pool (I can tell you this is a rare occasion). Although the crowd was miniscule at this point, the night seemed on a role as local headliners, The Happy Mirrors, jogged on stage. `Repetition Neurosis` kicks off and it’s clear the night belongs to the Mirrors. Theirs is a punky brand of indie rock n` roll. Smart basslines weave through a short-but-sweet collection of tunes. `Across the River` makes use of a skilled trumpeter, and the band seem to be having a whale of a time with each other, despite the lacklustre attendance. Bassist, Steve reminds me of Garth from Wayne’s World, the way he squirms awkwardly to the beat of the music under his mop of unruly hair.

And what a beat. 17 year old drummer, Josh, thrashes the skins like an angelic, red-trousered Animal from the Muppets. His drumming style is frantic and exciting, dreadlocks flying everywhere. However, if he can just learn to retain this excitement without giving in to the temptation of a couple of pre-show drinks `to calm the nerves`, he might be tighter with the rest of the band.

But The Happy Mirrors are all about mile-wide smiles and mad, Chuck Berry ska-punk. It’s great to see a young band from Lincoln having unashamed, noisy fun on stage. The singer, Al has a knack for losing his voice mid-set, to the extent that he called me up from the audience to sing closer `Johnny B. Goode!` I declined, so as to remain an objective reviewer (and also because it’s my night off as far as singing goes) The cover was still as raucously wonderful, Josh standing up and pounding his kit, and Al burning up the fretboard. Next time you see their name on the bill, bring your friends.

Raw nights at the Mezz Bar are one of the few places in Lincoln you can regularly witness a veritable smorgasbord of musical talent and all for free. Sure, they might not all be to your taste, but every now and then you might find a diamond in the rough. A good night can be made great by a responsive crowd, and that’s just what the Lincoln scene needs. Give it a chance and you might just be surprised.

Band Websites:

The Saved
Craine
Tenderhooks
Ainsley and The Pornstars
The Happy Mirrors

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