This weekend, THE MEFFS played their biggest hometown headlining show. Vive Le Rock was there.....!!
MEFF-FEST
CHARTER HALL, COLCHESTER
It’s been a whirlwind couple of years for THE MEFFS: the superanimated Colchester duo of Lily and Lewis have picked up a shedload of plaudits for debut full-length ‘What Is Life’, and had their first Vive cover (shared with the equally fab Split Dogs); now with a new record deal, a new album ready to drop in September, and a new single just revealed, tonight’s show, their third hometown Meff-Fest really feels like the end of one chapter and the start of another, whole lot bigger, chapter.
Kicking off proceedings at the relatively massive (the city has suffered for years not having a major-league venue) Charter Hall are a brace of young local Battle of The Bands: teenage all-girl fivepiece VIOLET deliver a corrosive goth-meets-grunge hybrid, mature beyond their years; meanwhile trio NO IDEA look like Hanson, but their belligerent pub-punk wrongfoots lazy pigeonholing, earning them a few new fans into the bargain.
Yeah, we know, ska-punk can be a bit Marmite, but Yorkshire’s RANDOM HAND have returned rejuvenated in recent years, and today’s set was no different, their trombone-driven hardcore-skank seeing the first moshing of the day, not to mention the first (and thankfully only) display of partial nudity. THE SUBWAYS, by contrast, were a little more subdued, reduced as they were to a semi-acoustic duo for the event. We needed a breather, though for STEVE IGNORANT’s set; with Carol Hodge sharing the vocals, the band provide a rousing celebration of the anarcho gamechangers of Essex – and UK – punk: ‘Do They Owe Us A Living’, ‘Banned From The Roxy’, a suitably harrowing ‘Mother Earth’. Crucial.
“Oi Oi! It’s time for ‘Warhead’!” Charlie’s UK SUBS are such seasoned pro’s, whatever set they play is gonna be wall-to-wall bangers. And this one is no different: ‘Emotional Blackmail’, ‘Tomorrow’s Girls’, ‘New York State Police’, ‘Stranglehold’; it’s great to hear particular favourite ‘You Don’t Belong’ too, although ironic as tonight is all about belonging, because a Meffs crowd – a punk crowd – is one big happy family. It’s amazing to see such an age range at a gig, Meffs t-shirts adorning those from 14 to 74 and probably above and beyond – it’s being ALIVE that counts!
It’s a very special set tonight, the band mixing old and new, kicking off with ‘Stamp It Out’, airing new single ‘Disorder’, injecting ‘Wasted On Women’ with X-Ray Spex’s ‘Identity’. The energy in this huge room is palpable, a cauldron of crowd-surfing and moshing, with Lily at one point in the eye of a massive circle pit before summoning a euphoric sprint through The Prodigy's ‘Breathe’, another righteous Essex anthem! No encores, though; we’re all equal, and ageless. Even though some are more creaky than others – especially after tonight! Somewhere, though, John Ball is smiling down. Oh, and if you found a glasses lens, please send it home!
Words/Photos: Gerry Ranson
THE MEFFS play Vive Le Rock's 16th Anniversary Party at O2 Academy Islington, London on Saturday 30th May, along with The Skids, Chron Gen, Desperate Measures, Deaf Devils, Tear Up and Headsticks - tickets