SATURDAY 23^RD JUNE 2001 – GREYHORSE, KINGSTON

“SATURDAY NIGHTS ALRIGHT FOR MIRMIS!”

SETLIST

CATCH THE RUNNING TRAIN (M.Loizou/D.Langhorn)

SMOKESCREEN (M.Loizou/D.Langhorn)

FAT-BOY SIN (M.Loizou/V.Constantinou)

ALICE IN THE LOOKING GLASS (M.Loizou/P.Clowes)

DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN (M.Loizou)

QUEEN OF KING (A.Kyriakidis)

RIDE THE WAVE (M.Loizou)

The place is all too familiar for Mirmis.  They graced the stage at the Greyhorse on the last Bank Holiday of May, and they are scheduled to play later on this week!  But familiarity can be a good thing, mix this with a very large gathering full of familiar faces on a warm summers Saturday night and you get a potentially exciting evening.

The “Mirmis Massive” (definitely lacking at the Peel gig) are here to see if the band they once loved can return once again to rock the nation (well South London anyway.)

New Vocalist Paul Clowes is another reason why the crowds have turned up in masses tonight.  The word spread after the relatively successful “Peel” gig three days before that the Bolton born Crooner was in fact the star of the show.  Only expected nerves and the odd lyric mishap stopped Paul's debut performance from being ***** star!  However after this, Paul's inspiring vocal performance and presence has lifted the band onto higher grounds!

First off is what the crowd expected – Catch The Running Train.  Mr Kyriakides sets the ball rolling with bass fx sounds reminiscent of the arrival of Darth Vader (if there’s such a thing) along with Marios Loizou’s chugging guitar, he then lets rip!  Never have the first three chords of this Pop Rock anthem ever sounded so good!  We then get Mr Lloyd Pritchard.  How the man hasn’t even mentioned in this review yet is beyond belief (Sack the editor!)  His Drum fills are so good it make you wonder if he’s human.  In fact throughout the performance his eyes are that of a madman possessed……..as though he’s cunningly filled his Drum kit with explosives.  Now who would do a thing like that? 

Harmonies wasn’t really a word associated with Mirmis, but now we hear the band in full unison at the chorus “You think I’m going insane, I’ve gotta catch that running train”.

Potential single number 1 is followed by potential single number 2, Smokescreen.  This is a song that initially sounds like Nirvana but ends with a chord structure similar to the infamous MSG.  This mid-tempo rocker full of Power-Chords possesses a great chorus, again sung with relative ease and style by Paul Clowes.   

The crowd startled at the quality of Mirmis, A certain Andy Duke with his cheeky grin especially so.  TRIVIA: You know that Mr Duke was the star of Mirmis’ only commercial Music Video – Smokescreen!

However the band really move up a gear with their next two numbers – the brutal ballad of Fat-Boy Sin, and the cleverly titled Punk Rock track Alice in the Looking glass.  

Paul Clowes brings in a new dimension with these songs.  The politically correct “Fat-Boy Sin” is initially mellow, accompanied by some controversial but quite moving lyrics – “Watch out Ralf is About he is hear to take your daughters, with a box of matches he strikes them up on you!” The chorus like all Mirmis’ numbers is explosive to say the least – “My Name is Ralf leader of my so-called nation” sings Paul in commanding fashion accompanied by Andy and Marios.  The song ends in a crescendo of loud jangly guitar parts, pondering bass, and stylistic drumming.

The band up to this point are quite static (excluding Lloyd as such words are never associated with Moon mark 2!)  Most of the colour coming from Bass player Andy Kyriakides – who last time round at the Peel maybe showed too much confidence and his clown like Antics were exactly that of a clown.  Fine if your at a circus, but bass player in a Rock band……..

However Mr Kyriakides this time round proved a master entertainer, keeping an excellent balance between playing the bass guitar with skill and ease, but getting the crowd going without actually going too far.  This really helped his band mates Paul and Marios – thus by the end of the show the whole band had quality stage presence.

Alice in the Looking Glass a prime example of the band really giving it some.  Lloyd sets the pace, in lightning fashion!  The Led-Zep style riff produced my Loizou is more clinical than ever and the Kyriakides Bass guitar accompanies this well!  The vocals are sung exceptionally well adapting differently to the verse and Chorus. 

Musically Mirmis are tighter than ever and the crowd really starts to enjoy the band. 

However the last three Mirmis numbers are really in a different class.

Do you Remember When kicks off with a softly strummed jangly riff.  The bass and drums eventually accompany the guitar.  Its here where references to R.E.M and Pearl Jam at there most mellow are apparent.  The vocals are again superb, and sung with a tone of optimism giving the song character considering the bleak lyrics and negative subject. “Feel me up stomach full of tears I’m gonna drown.”  However the chorus rips in with guitar overdrive and we witness some excellent drumming.  The beats that Mr Pritchard uses throughout are advanced to say the least. 

The beauty of the song however lies elsewhere.  We not only get the usual structure of Verse, Bridge, Chorus etc. but in fact a completely different mid-part that fits in perfectly.  Loizou’s jangly chords helped by with reverb and echo fx make this section of the song sound astonishingly like U2.  Chilling to say the least, especially with the diverse bass guitar parts of Kyriakides who is quickly establishing himself as a mean 4-string whizz-kid/Veteran. 

We then get a fittingly chilling guitar solo by Marios Loizou who puts in a much tighter performance throughout the whole show than 3 days previous. He is still trying to emulate his guitar heroes but still retaining his own unorthodox style.

Do you Remember When takes a twist at the end where we get yet another guitar solo, some very good drumming and some excellent vocals.

The song goes down a storm considering it’s fairly new to most of the crowd.

The Prog Rock classic Queen of King however is an old crowd Favourite.

We see Andy Kyriakides in a different light, masterminding this Marillion like song in what must have been a cloud of inspiration.

Again the vocal performances by Andy and Paul enhance the song that extra bit, and we get the expected blistering Guitar solo from Andy Kyriakides that’s dynamic and crisp but somehow still manages to sound even better than ever!

The 7 minute epic ends, and is met with huge applause. 

However Mirmis do not unveil their new number tonight, penned by Paul, due to technical difficulties before hand and time scheduling that was of fault of no band in particular tonight.

We do however get another crowd Favourite the “Party” Pop Rock of  “Ride The Wave” already touted as the future Mirmis single to assault the British Charts.

Featuring a classic Rocktastic Riff from the word go that has been unheard of since Dire Straits’ “Money For Nothing” back in 1985!

Classy Drumming throughout the song and a funky bass line really sets up a fine finally for the South London band.  Paul Clowes is at home singing this number in his traditional popstyle manner. 

We get Another Loizou Guitar solo that’s actually quite good and the song ends in a traditionally thunderous style led by of course the enigmatic Lloyd Pritchard.  He produces some “drum stunts” if you like that no other drummer alive today would ever try! 

The new front man Paul Clowes thanks the truly advance audience who erupt in a wall of noise.  They acknowledge the northerners quite demon performance with his dynamic vocal capabilities and total professionalism throughout the show!

With the band yet to finish the song, Kyriakides still wearing his cheeky grin, winks at his admiral following.  Loizou meanwhile is egged on by certain young ladies to make a 20 foot jump (well maybe not quite 20ft) from the stage onto the audience.  As soon as the Last chord is struck Loizou complies.  His Eddie Van Halen jump nearly takes the amp with him but luckily he ends up on two feet that would dumbfound any gymnast!

For tonight we see Mirmis again show that they can produce the goods in front of a large audience and have definitely put “Rock and Roll” back on the map!  All 4 men produce star performances.  Perhaps the only disappointment tonight was Lloyds unusual behaviour after the gig.  For he did not use the bar, flower pots or fruit machine in the pub for his traditional performance enhancing urinal test…………..