The Mosquitoes, Mongohorn, Copecetik, WeGoGo, Primitevo

Posted on 9th Oct 09 by Connor Moloney | 0

Ah, Sunday drinking. The last refuge the weekend has to offer those of us determined not to acknowledge that we have jobs until the reality slaps us in our hungover faces at around half seven the next morning. September 27th sees me partake in this occasional ritual of mine at Think Tank, and experiencing my second visit to Holy Joe’s Infernal Cabaret. For the newcomers, this is an event run and filmed by our friends at Mixtape in conjunction with Gigevent. Usually run from The Mezz from 4-9 and taking in a wide range of genres and acts, today’s gig has moved downstairs to Think Tank, where the more basementyvibe marries well with the punky flavour of this week’s acts.

Mongohorn

Primitevo kick things off, living up to their name with a set of ferocious primal punk. The likes of Fake It show a pronounced ’77 punk influence,  the band’s three-minute stomps echoing early Clash in particular. There’s more to them than traditional punk however, and as the set progresses they showcase a harder edge, often bringing to mind Motorhead’s high octane metal.

WeGoGo are up next, bringing a more subtle touch to the proceedings with some emo-flecked alt-rock. Angular and hard-edged, but with an eye for a bittersweet melody and some brilliant guitar interplay, the band make for an impressive prospect. They are followed by the hard-to-pronounce Copacetik, who bring some grunge of the Nirvana vintage to  the proceedings. Singer Kenneth Byrne reveals a “No To Lisbon” t-shirt during the performance, accompanying it with a rollicking version of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Fortunate Son. But while his efforts would appear to have been in vain on that front, his Cobain-esque wail certainly won favour with this crowd.

After that comes Mongohorn. The band are famed for their onstage antics, which recently led to them being banned from Whelan’s for lewd conduct/nearly burning the place down. By comparisons, tonight’s show is slightly more tame, apart form one incident involving a bit of arse-baring and the rogue finger of vocalist Eddie Murder. Still though, it’s a good show, the band delivering an energetic blend of old school punk yet happy to play the court jesters, while special mention should go to wisecracking guitarist Andy Byrne, who proves to be a genuinely hilarious man.

The Mosquitoes round off the night, with a blend of rockabilly and swamp rock. It’s given a softer edge by the seemingly new addition of a female vocalist, which gives the band’s sound a more modern feel.

All in all, this was a top line-up with each act playing to a very high standard. Moreover, the events have a very good atmosphere and provide what these sort of gigs really should: variety. Definitely worth a look.

Drop-d Rating: 8/10

Tags: Copecetik, GigEvent, Holy Joe's Infernal Cabaret, Mixtape, Mongohorn, Primitevo, The Mezz, The Mosquitoes, Think Tank, WeGoGo