Mark Mulcahy, Latest Music Bar, Brighton (August 29, 2013)

One of my more familiar themes is around acts that I feel should be better known or more popular than they are, artists that have been producing great work for years and still can’t sell many records. Mark Mulcahy is one of these artists, loved by the likes of Thom Yorke, The National, and Michael Stipe and more he still plays small venues and wouldn’t be recognised in the street. His most recent album, the brilliant Dear Mark J. Mulcahy, I Love You, is up with anything he has ever recorded (and is my favourite record of the year so far) but I suspect that sales figures have been modest.

Mark Mulcahy

The flipside to this is that his cult status means that I get to see him play a wonderful low-key set in Brighton’s Latest Music Bar, and I’m so close to the stage that I was splashed with his sweat on more than one occasion during the evening.

Suited and bespectacled he is simultaneously unassuming and captivating as he cherry picks songs from his 16 year solo career. On a couple of tracks, including a spellbinding ‘Hey Self Defeater’, he plays alone with simple guitar and a unique voice carrying the songs and he sounds surprisingly self-assured and confident. On most songs he is accompanied by a simple band, a set-up that perfectly balances the musical quality of the song writing with the need to pay full attention to the witty and insightful lyrics. Most impressive in the band is a drummer who can keep a beat whilst simultaneously playing the keyboards and singing pitch perfect backing vocals. (He also cheerily manned the merchandise stall after the gig, multi-tasking clearly not a problem).

Mulcahy himself also proves to be a more upbeat and animated character than his musical reputation might give credit for. His most recent recorded output has many upbeat or humorous moments and is often poppier than might be expected. ‘Poison Candy Heart’ and ‘Let the Fireflies Fly Away’ both prove that tonight, with the latter even featuring animal noise audience participation.

As he relaxes through the set we see more audience engagement and movement on the stage. A wonderfully ragged ‘I Have Patience’ sees him rocking out around the stage and freed from the guitar and mic stand for a version of the Miracle Legion classic ‘Ladies From Town’ sees him almost river dancing whilst playing the harmonica.

The end of a, not unexpected, encore sees him joined on stage by old band-mate Mr Ray Neal for a song.  This is possibly the closest we’ll ever get to a Miracle Legion reunion and a pretty fine way to end an exemplary live performance.

By Dorian Rogers

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