Punk, Oi! and plenty more from the take-no-shit quartet!
In just three years of the band’s history, Düsseldorf, Germany’s Mean Ellees have already played every venue in the area that didn’t close its doors quickly enough! From music pubs to big festivals, from a boat tour to an allotment garden, nowehere was out of bounds.. May 2025 saw them support Jaya the Cat, while in April they supported The Bolokos from Guadeloupe on a small tour of Germany.
Mean Ellees released their first album ‘All You Can Eat‘ on 1st September 2025 – a triumphant collection of tunes and earworms about their favorite clubs, heartache, the joy of drinking, unwelcome mackers, and everything else that keeps them so busy..
Meet Mean Ellees:
Vocals: Leonie
Guitar: Elmar
Bass: Melle
Drums: Andy
This band’s energetic and joyful playing is contagious – the fun that the four have on stage is quickly transferred to their audience, and also into this cracking debut album! Opening with ska-punk number ‘Is That All?‘, the XXL lifestyle of the braggart comes under fire. No, Mean Ellees are not impressed with his money / car / muscles; his personality is completely lacking, as is what’s in his pants:
These are indeed ‘Strange Days‘, and Mean Ellees are ready to fight the evil forces spreading hate and divsion. A great punk song written in true punk spirit – standing together with our friends. An ode to ‘Day Drinking‘ sees the band get their Oi! on, and this number is an instant sing-along classic:
Sticking with their established Oi! sound, the ignorant bullshit heard at a party inspired ‘Your Friends Got No R’n’R‘. This bouncy number is chock-full of banging bass lines and is one of my favourites on the album! ‘Here Again‘ is another bass-driven blast of punk, with an awesome guitar solo midway. A song to celebrate strength.
Mean Ellees tackle post-break-up angst in ‘What Are You Doing Tonight?‘ Choppy guitar and a drumbeat like a heartbeat underpin the impassioned vocals. Every album needs a song that evokes a wry grin – and ‘Working Class (I Hate It)‘ is that song on ‘All You Can Eat‘! The plight of the blue collar worker stuck in a crappy job who lives for some fun at the weekend makes this Oi! belter a must-listen – check out the video:
‘No One‘ sets off apace, sublime vocal harmonies making this track stand out. It’s about the confusion and indecision of dealing with a tricky situation all alone with no advice. Classic punk tune ‘Finally Gone‘ celebrates waking up to a happier life after the departure of someone who made it unecessarily difficult for you. One for the mosh pit! The band’s namesake song ‘Mean Ellees‘ tells us what they’re all about – and pays musical homage to some of their punk influences!
Slowing things down, semi-acoustic number ‘Place We Called Home‘ has a strong Irish folk-punk feel. If proof were needed that Mean Ellees are a versatile band, this song is it. An unexpected treat! Final track ‘Spend The Night‘ is firmly back in punk territory – the nervous tension of a first date is explored in its gritty entirety.
This is a very promising debut album from a band who have built up a great reputation by good old-fashioned gigging, and this dedication shows in a great collection of catchy, well-written, relateable songs.
Stream ‘All You Can Eat‘ HERE, and order your copy on green vinyl from HERE
Main Photo Credit / All Live Photos: MIKE VOGEL
- Is That All?
- Strange Days
- Day Drinking
- Your Friends Got No R’n’R
- Here Again
- What Are You Doing Tonight?
- Working Class (I hate it)
- No One
- Finally Gone
- Mean Ellees
- Place We Called Home
- Spend The Night
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Usually found jumping around down the front at gigs, I also relish taking photos and videos, singing, speaking with fellow music fans, and asking musicians the questions nobody else does. Writing about my favourite bands and connecting with people who love music too keeps me more-or-less sane! I’ve worked for over 25 years at a video production company, mainly filming live music events, therefore I have an additional backstage perspective on the scene.
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