By Harsharan Hoonjan
There is definitely something mysterious, and contagious about this band, and their music.
Mickey 9s mysterious vocalist; is known for wearing his signature yellow hoody (sometimes with matching bottoms); a metallic costume mask; paired with the Mickey 9s T-Shirt. He looks loud and he is not the only one, David Arnott the bass player whilst not as vibrantly dressed sports an impressive, although currently tamed, afro
Masked man (Vocalist), David Arnott (Bass guitarist), Antony Paul (Guitarist) and Ross McGroarty (Drummer) make up the Glasgow band. The answer to how their image was constructed is symbolised in their video, ‘Find a Thing’. Their use of dress and props to get into character is consistent in the singles that follow. The music videos lure us into Mickey 9s journey and provide insight into their playful nature, and present a taster of what to expect during a live show. I was ready and looking forward to seeing the band play at Stereo Café Bar where the Post Orgasmic Sunshine Band were headlining.
Mickey 9s was the first act of the evening; the yellow suited masked man was umissible from a distance and he was not wearing shoes on stage, just very thick black socks. Antony, David and Ross however were,(wearing shoes that is) and the band was ready to entertain. There was singing, dancing and some funky psychedelic sounds.
We were treated to the likes of ‘Icarus’, it has a cool bass tone which works well with the minimal but punchy vocals and sounds quite intergalactic. Another of my picks is the song ‘Ammunition’, sung with angered tones, and such exuberance, it can force a person to march on the spot! ‘Find a Thing’ is sure to appeal to the dancer in us all, it will have you nodding in agreement, singing along and yes dancing too. The words: ‘If you listen for it, you will hear everything has a beat to it, you just gotta know how to dance to it’, have never been truer. ‘Mickey 999’ will stick in your mind and yes their fans were calling out to them.
We could hear enthusiastic and happy gig goers singing: ‘Nana nana nana na, Mickey, Mickey 9s, Mickey Mickey 9s’ in between tracks. The audience appeared to reflect the band’s fun, playful vibe, especially those who were bouncing around. An entertaining, playful and jovial bunch, the lads from the band don’t hold back. The front mans consistent jumping and grand gestures was reminiscent of their videos and in particular those few moments captured at Glasgow’s Central Station where he is seen to be ‘Prancing around’, as one member of staff put it. Fun, banter, and original music was the perfect antidote to the Christmas party with a funk difference.
One of Mickey 9s fans, Susan, was more than happy to share with us how she went from uninterested to adoring the band:
“I was utterly uninterested; I just thought this is not my thing, white boy, afro, funk, nah you’re awright! They were playing at King Tuts a couple of years ago and a friend of ours was over from America who was a huge fan of music and knew King Tuts was the place for music. I was like: ‘We’ve got a friend playing tonight, we’ll take you’, you know playing the big shot. I went to see them and I was completely blown away, I adore them, they make me so happy, I remember Davie (David Arnott) saying after that gig, ‘You just kept grinning all night long!’ They just make me smile and they make me dance and I’m 42, I don’t dance, I don’t do dancing, I cannot not dance, I tried tonight, I thought I’m reasonably sober, and I thought I’m not gonna do it anymore, and I just couldn’t. You cannot fail to dance to them, they are the funniest and I mean genuinely funny, they make you smile, they make you laugh. They are the funkiest, most enjoyable band I know and I’ve seen an awful lot of live music and they are right now my favourite live band, I adore them!”
As a result of one performance Susan was able to appreciate the spirit of a band who promote high energy whilst creating brilliant catchy songs, and dance worthy beats. Mickey 9s are unique and if you are at one of their gigs you may think your show ticket price was wrong…you may think you have been undercharged. In fact, the whole package of song, video and live performances work so well together. They really have nailed all three; it’s something of a revelation. You might just find you need to see them again, listen to them again and buy their T-Shirt. I just can’t get the Mickey 9s feeling out of my head. Is that because they know how to kick the ‘fun’ into funk? …. I think so!
The lads are back at Stereo Café Bar on February 28th for the Glasgow Weekender, get involved!
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