Rock'n the Crowds
The Mudmen took the stage minus their lead singer, bringing most of the bar surging to their feet and launching into a blistering five minute instrumental tailor-made to psyche up the crowd. Snarling, stomping and flipping off the crowd, the band tore up the stage, ripping through their set with a staggering ferocity. It helped that every member of the band looked the part; you could easily picture these guys tearing up a bar without any problems. The bagpipers in particular (Robby and Sandy Campbell) dominated the stage, looking like a bouncer from a biker bar and the kind of aging Harley enthusiast who inexplicably manages to date a string of supermodels. Shortly joined by their lead singer, the band toasted the crowd with a can of Bud and got down to business, beginning with "5 O’Clock" and continuing with a drive that never relented. Mudmen’s music is a mix of hard rock and various Celtic styles, The band also has the kind of stage presence that demands a mosh pit — angry, electrifying and full of energy. The crowd was already juiced by the time the band started handing out beer; once they reached their hit cover of “Home for a rest,” the officials could barely keep the moshing crowd off the stage. In the end, the folk had to give up, as two or three shirtless guys joined the band on stage, belting out AC/DC’s “It’s A Long Way To The Top” to bring the night to a close.
By the time the concert had finished the chants of "Mudmen! Mudmen!" echoed as loudly as the band had played. In the end, the Mudmen are exactly what you might expect them to be — the best riot you’ve ever been to, and as good a time as you’re likely to have, drunk or sober. If you haven’t seen them yet, don’t miss the next opportunity;
Duncan Ramsay -U of Waterloo |
