Natives Of The Third Earth - Mumm-Ra

Meeting Mumm-Ra could have been an intimidating experience. To those of a certain age, the name conjures up images of a bandaged figure muttering “Ancient Spirits of Evil” and the like while plotting various nefarious deeds. Thankfully, Mumm-Ra the band are a much nicer and accommodating lot than the villain from cult 80s cartoon “Thundercats” from which their name is taken. However, it wasn’t a devotion to the programme that led to the name, more a fluke as drummer Gareth explains: “A member of the band saw an interview, I think in the NME where someone was asked to list his inspirations. He listed off these random names and one of those was Mumm-Ra. There was a little picture of him and we thought he looks cool!”

That’s that sorted out then. Sadly the name hasn’t been as unique as they hoped as Gareth mentions that: “There’s another band with the same name. They actually played Hastings recently and people thought it was us and asked for their money back! I think they’re going to change their name”. Forcing another band into a name change: clearly proof that Mumm-Ra are on the ascendancy. Further evidence of this is the band’s slot opening the NME Indie Rock Tour that is currently rumbling around the country, having started in Belfast last week. Opening the gig each night may have caused some bands to feel extra pressure but not Mumm-Ra, with the band’s front man Noo saying that: “We feel less pressure [opening] to be honest. Obviously, it’s a really prestigious tour and it’s great but to be honest it’s kind of like we feel we can go out and convert people. We can prove to people that we’re a band to be recognised with as well”.

Among the bands Mumm-Ra are sharing the bill with are the Horrors, who fell out spectacularly with the Fratellis on a previous jaunt. Yet all is sweetness and light between Mumm-Ra and the other 3 bands according to Gareth: “ We’re a loveable bunch, we just get on well with everyone!” He goes to joke that “Our manager told us to start a fight with the Horrors, that might get some extra publicity in the NME!”

That would seem to be one thing the band don’t need help with, given their placing in the paper’s Top 10 bands for 2007, suggesting that the band’s manic melodic pop has a lot of people won over. Yet that can sometimes be a double edged sword with other critics eager to bring the “next big things” down to Earth. Mumm-Ra aren’t worried about any sort of backlash though as Noo points out that: “We’re not really a typical NME band… We seem to be doing quite well with all the press. More than anything else we’re confident that our music is just bloody good!”