Seattle's underground grunge veterans Mudhoney took London by storm at the end of their EU / UK tour!
Tonight, it is the legacy of The Stooges that hangs heaviest over the Electric Ballroom and those who wreak sonic havoc within. Neither Mudhoney’s Mark Arm nor John E Vistic are afraid to channel their inner Iggy when they cast aside their guitars, and both bands are partial to the kind of glorious racket that would have the Asheton brothers (RIP) nodding in approval. The show certainly looks like it’s sold out, and our eardrums are bracing themselves.
The aforementioned John E Vistic and his band do not disappoint. They ply a mean trade in black-hearted rock n’ roll, with added blues, punk and even alt-country influences, and the end results are morbidly compelling. John himself is a captivating frontman, leading us through the likes of ‘Authenticate This’ and ‘Humanz Are Bastardz’ like a preacher hailing the end of days, but we’d also like to give a shout out to the saxophone player; rarely has anyone made the instrument sound so mournful and sinister since…yep, the days of The Stooges alumnus Steve Mackay (also RIP).
Truth be told, they give the headliners one hell of a run for their money, and if you haven’t yet checked out their newly-released ‘Das Ubermensch’, do so immediately – you can thank us later.
A tough act to follow, for sure, but Mudhoney are up to the task; after all, the grunge veterans have not just survived, but thrived over the years. They make a somewhat understated entrance with early favourite ‘If I Think’, but receive a heroes’ welcome anyway, the momentum gradually building both onstage and down the front.
Such is their confidence, they blast out their signature song ‘Touch Me I’m Sick’ only about a third of the way in, and it whips the crowd into a bouncing, sweaty mass. As we witness Arm and lead guitarist Steve Turner attack their instruments with palpable glee, it’s all we can do to hope that’ll we’ll look half as cool as this into our sixties.
The highlights come thick and fast; with ‘Sweet Young Thing (Ain’t Sweet No More)’ sounding twice as menacing as it does on record, the insistent groove of ‘You Got It’ defying even those up on the balcony to NOT move, and the hardcore punk blast of ‘Chardonnay’ proving the aural equivalent of sticking your head inside a jet engine (but in a good way!).
Mudhoney have always been masters of the quiet-loud dynamic that was once the hallmark of grunge, and whenever the pace slows tonight, there’s always the guarantee of something seismic just around the corner.
A triple-threat encore of ‘Suck You Dry’, ‘Here Comes Sickness’ and ‘In N’ Out Of Grace’ ensures that we all leave breathless, and the band seem genuinely humbled by our efforts. Tonight, they’ve ripped through no fewer than 28 songs in the space of an hour and a half – a sure sign of a band for whom a comfortable retirement is not yet on the cards, despite being well into their fourth decade together. They’ve faced a stiff challenge from the openers, but ultimately, tonight, the old guard has won in fine style.
Main Photo Credit / All Photos: ALEX GOOSE
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I spend my days teaching English to foreign students, and my evenings attending as many gigs as possible. Raised mainly on a diet of 90s third-wave punk, my tastes have grown to include just about anything from trad ska to thrash metal. The Ramones are my musical gods.
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