More about: The Mysterines

Ahhhh, Liverpool. We’ve known it to be the best city for a while, but it seems Eurovision has finally led the rest of the world to realise that, too. This last week has seen an abundance of Eurovision celebrations, including a festival on the Pier Head, themed club nights in Gay Town, a DJ set in Lark Lane’s Co-Op and, er, a kitchen disco hosted by none other than Sophie Ellis Bextor in the big L1 John Lewis. It’s been a heavy exciting fortnight for us all - especially with the Music Venue Trust gigs that have been quietly popping up in independent venues all over the city.

We had Crawlers at Jimmy’s, The Coral at Future Yard, and Miles Kane in The Jacaranda, but tonight it’s The Mysterines at The Caledonia - a teeny, tiny sweatbox of a pub that just about manages to stuff 100 people in there. With the spiralling grunge-punk of their debut album Reeling, they’ve built a reputation as a gloomily energetic rock band with a die-hard following. Tonight, there’s not a person in the pub who isn’t desperate to see them. Hometown gigs are always special, but with their last 18 months, this feels like a real, proper celebration of their triumph. 

"As a band, they remain raw and all-encompassing; to watch them is to be enthralled and to feel slightly possessed..."

Opening with the whirling ‘Life is a Bitch, But I Like It So Much’, it takes no time for the room to descend into disarray. Raging and tameless, Lia Metcalfe’s vocals feel wicked. She has a distinct talent for swapping between screaming theatrics (‘Reeling’) and a lilty country sleaze (‘Old Friends Die Hard’). As a band, they remain raw and all-encompassing; to watch them is to be enthralled and to feel slightly possessed. They play like they’re under pressure - rapid and rushed and roaringly loud.

Before me, a boy of about 18 turns to his dad between every song to say, “I know I said it about the last one, but this one’s my favourite!”. Following this, he slips back through the crowd to another group of very young adults who cling to every note like it’s the last time they might hear it. This becomes a very sweet ritual that I can’t hide my joy at witnessing - his dad clocks this, turns to me and says, “They are brilliant, though, aren’t they?” 

They are - this is indisputable, and has been a while. Their curveball cover of Iggy Pop’s ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’ cements their position as one of the most effortlessly cool bands in the Liverpool scene right now. 

The sheer force with which everyone screams the lyrics to new and old tracks alike into the faces of the strangers proves The Mysterines really have made their mark on the city. With a debut that’s barely a year old, their songs already feel anthemic and timeless. The crowd don’t just know the songs, they live inside them, bringing them to life with real, deep feeling. 

See the view from the pit, captured by Louise Andrews:

Grab your copy of the Gigwise print magazine here.

More about: The Mysterines