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You have to feel for Notting Hill Gate residents.
Firstly, a few days of Carnival, meaning hours of noisy parades, huge crowds right outside your windows, littered streets....and then when you think it’s all over, foundations shaking Wigan quintet Moco hit your high street!
Well established on the Manchester music scene and enjoying a strong following around the North West of England, their appearance in London is a rare occurrence I am glad to be witnessing.
We are at Alan McGee’s Death Disco, Notting Hill Arts Centre, a venue that Moco have played on many occasions in the past, but for the first time this year.
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You’d have to be the most demanding of punters or deaf not to be able to appreciate Moco’s musical skills and tuneful offerings.
And that’s the beauty of Moco’s material, easy to get into even for first time listeners.
Songs that are melodic, uplifting, well built and catchy or quite anthemic at times.
Simon sits behind his drum kit, guitarists Rigby and Dave take to the stage and bassist Nick casually lights up another cigarette while front man Steve addresses the audience.
They open with ‘You Took Advantage’, ‘Foolish Pride’ and introduce new track ‘Freaks’ to an appreciative crowd.
But it’s when they move on to better known songs or “the hits” as Steve rightly quips, such as ‘Miss Mantaray’ and ‘Baby When You Die’ from 2004/05 critically acclaimed debut album ‘Out To Go’, and ‘Twice Bitten, Once Shy’ from this year’s released Ep of the same name that you realise that Moco are a musical force to be reckoned with.
Much heat and frantic energy emanates from the stage.
Unsurprisingly no instrument is safe from this forceful human tornado.
Bass and guitar strings alike get a good thrashing, [no need to hide behind your hair guys we can see you] and let’s not mention Simon’s ongoing conflict with his drums.
And just don’t trust sweetly smiling, ‘butter wouldn’t melt’ Steve.
After all he’s the one writing the stuff!
I’m just hoping that they treat their girlfriends with more respect.
Their influences, [the Doors, Led Zeppelin, The Stooges...] can come to life when required but Moco have managed to bring familiar, often ‘referred to’ sounds to the 21st century by adding the right amount of modern twists and a little Moco home made secret ingredient.
They end their set with kick-ass tune ‘The New Official Truth’ also lifted from ‘must have’ Lp ‘Out To Go’.
That’s it, they’ve left the stage and I miss their noisy rock/ psychedelic compositions already.
If you live in Northern England, you are lucky enough to be able to check them out on a regular basis, but for the rest of us, Moco are playing Surrey [Dorking’s Root 24 rock Festival] on the 16th of September, and you should be there because they’re worth it.
Words: Florence ACHERY
www.mocohq.com
www.myspace.com/moco |
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