23/2/2010 Dead Monroe @ The Monarch

Subject	Dead Monroe @ The Monarch
PostedDate	2/23/2010
	It's a long time since I've seen Dead Monroe live - they used to be out playing regularly around town, but haven't been seen for ages. Until now. They decided to add a keyboard player to the lineup, but he left after a few gigs and they stopped gigging.  Tonight they make their comeback to the live scene at The Monarch in Camden - not the pub that was called the Monarch before it was the Barfly but the former Wetherspoons pub a few yards down the road. As pub venues go it's not too bad, although I thought it was better when the bands played at the back of the pub instead of the front by the bar as they do now. Another backward step is the removal of the real ale pumps, so I am reduced to cider and keggy John Smiths until later when I discover they have bottles of  Newcastle Brown - cheaper than the Underworld and Purple Turtle as well so all is not lost.  Oh yes, I've come here to see a band - I'm not a total piss-artist really. Honest.  I was expecting the sound to be a bit rubbish, but it's surprisingly good - although the band later say they couldn't hear anything onstage. Quite a few people have come to see the band - it's good to hear them play to an appreciative crowd. It's also a much better atmosphere tonight in The Monarch than the bands more recent gigs at the Rhythm Factory and I find it much more enjoyable than most of their gigs over the past couple of years or so. As well as playing at a different venue, and having a couple of new songs something else has changed. Yes, it's Dead Monroe Jim - but not as we know it. They have a new keyboard player and tonight is her first gig with the band. Her name is Poppy and she seems to fit in better than the previous player - let's hope she sticks around for longer... This band have always been good musicians and got a good sound at their shows (sound mix/engineer/PA permitting) but their real strength has been in the quality of their songs, and this continues - a band who have definitely got the material as well as the ability to give good live performances and could take things a lot further given the right breaks... As Dead Monroe were on first (the promoters got that wrong IMHO) I originally thought I could piss off early for a change. However, having paid my money and finding the beverages/prices/atmosphere reasonable as well as having no work the following day I decided to hang around and check out the other bands. The next act Secret Cinema Band were an interesting change but relied too much on backing DATS so didn't hold my interest as I came to hear LIVE music. The third band turned out to be well worth hanging about for though. They were called Yes Rebels and I really enjoyed their set of good catchy rock/pop/R&B songs. I'm sure I've seen the frontman in another band before somewhere? I thought the headliners Media Circus were a bit contrived and up their own arses. Expect to hear them all over XFM soon then...