1,427 MEW, The Pale White, London Camden Roundhouse, Thursday 5th February 2026

 

After Gang of Four and October Drift last year, here’s another farewell to a beloved band…

For a brief incandescent period in the early noughties, Denmark’s Mew were just about the best there was. Inveigling themselves into our listening fashion with a frankly astonishing single in “Am I Wry? No” and accompanying album “Frengers”, they owned 2003 with an unique and oft-unpigeonhole-able sound, blending elements from shoegaze, dreampop, grunge and even (hush my mouth) prog into a captivating and oft-symphonic mix, topped by vocalist Jonas Bjerre’s clear, high-register choirboy tones. Plenty of incredible gigs and another superb album followed, before they crashed and burned with their frankly awful 2009 “No More Stories” album, their hitherto delicate touch (possibly influenced by the temporary absence of bassist and fellow guiding light Johan Wohlert) instead smothered with swathes of indistinct synth noise. Johan’s return and a couple of subsequent redemptive albums mostly restored our faith, thankfully, but they’d been absent from my Dance Card since a technically-beset 2017 Trinity gig (gig 1,039). When this date was announced as part of a farewell tour, however, I wasn’t about to miss one last chance to hopefully be dazzled by my early noughties fave…

Tim was up for it too, and a couple of old gig friends booked as well, promising good company both on and off stage! Then Jonas lost his voice, prompting a postponement from the original November 2025 date to tonight, making it their actual last date! A real event in prospect then, as we headed off down a sodden M4, parking in Osterley and tubing over to Camden. Met up with old gig friend no. 1, namely Welsh Mel, for a chat and catch-up in the Enterprise pub opposite, before we entered the Roundhouse’s cavernous confines and grabbed a spot a few rows back, house right. Support The Pale White were on at 7.45; like my previous viewing on the Pixies undercard in 2024 (gig 1,318), their set was predominantly soporific and morose slo-grunge, with a couple of more driving and upbeat Foos-esque numbers to throw some sharp relief. Their closer, “Final Exit”, a melodic harmony-overlaid powerpop choon, was their best by a million miles, otherwise their enthusiastic drummer’s Animal-esque antics were once again their strongest suit… 

Took a wander around the rapidly-filling venue and met up with old gig friend no. 2; none other than 80’s friend Lester Noel! I’d seen Lest a bunch of times in the late 80’s with his splendid C86-influenced jangle pop charges North Of Cornwallis, enjoyed a letter correspondence with him (that’s how we did it back then, email kids…) and seen him out and about at a few gigs, but our paths hadn’t actually crossed for 36 years except via facebook. The years fell away as we caught up, and I was introduced to his son Callum. Made my way back over to Tim as the lights dimmed at 8.45 and Mew took the stage to a suitably elegiac opener, before the twinkling opening of “Satellite” ceded to it’s dark, pounding funk verse base and shimmering chorus, Jonas’ wide-eyed angelic tones already a feature. The angular and equally funky stomp of “Special” then segued into the herky-jerky intro to “Zookeeper’s Boy”, the storm clouds as ever parting for its majestic and soaring hook, accompanied as usual by the offbeat backdrop films featuring cracked porcelain dolls, Beatrix Potter animals and slightly macabre superimposed faces. “Tonight is our very last show,” announced Johan at its conclusion, “it’s weird but thank you for sharing it with us!”

“Sharing” seemed quite an apposite phrase; this indeed was a shared experience, the band feeding off the reverential acclaim of this devoted audience and delivering a hard-edged and muscular yet conversely deft, delicate and precise career-spanning performance. Not perfect by any means; a few numbers immediately following “Zookeepers” merged muddily into each other in a slightly unnerving throwback to that poor “No More Stories” gig in 2009 (gig 774), and throughout the gig, Jonas’ voice very occasionally sounded a little husky in the lower register, perhaps a legacy of his recent voice issues… However when Mew hit the heights tonight (which was more often than not) they recalled those dazzling “holy shit!” moments of their 2003-2006 “live” pomp. Newie (?) “Gliding” was elegiac and hymnal, returning to that delicate touch; the harsh sheet-metallic opening of “Snow Brigade” led into a cascading and thrilling tumble of sound; “Symmetry” cleared the air with a haunting and stark vocal duet between Jonas and Becky Jarrett, projected onto the backdrop screen; and whilst “Apocalypso” felt a little crushingly heavy-handed, the loud-quiet dramatics of “She Spider” built to an careering and undulating crescendo, before set closer “Rows” again built from a hushed, slow-burn opening into a soaring and stately outro. 

“[This is] our first single; everyone thought we were crazy!” announced Johan before the urgent, almost punk rock encore “I Should Have Been A Tsin-Tsi For You”, accompanied by lurid dayglo pandas on the backdrop; then the highlight of the night for me, the crashing intro to “Am I Wry? No” heralding a sweeping, stately and utterly magnificent version of Mew’s mood- and tempo-changing high watermark. Thanks and compliments from the band during the slow-burn, brooding intro to closer “Comforting Sounds”, before the song burst into life and built to a lengthy, symphonic instrumental outro, one final crashing and thrilling crescendo of noise rounding off proceedings, the band then taking a lengthy and deserved bow.

Squirmed my way to a barrier spot and was handed Johan’s setlist – a huge 4 pager! Even with the glasses, Johan…? Unsurprisingly, I was stopped multiple times on the way out by fellow punters for a pic of said manuscript, before a smoother than anticipated tube journey and thankfully unimpeded drive home (no moving roadblocks this time!) saw Tim drop me off just after 1. On reflection, and despite a few bumps in the road, this really was a special one, both on and off stage. If this is really farewell to Mew (and indications from the stage were a little contradictory at times) then this was a brilliantly apt and entirely fitting eulogy to a very beloved band. Thank you Mew, we’ll miss you!

1,039 MEW, Warhaus, Bristol Trinity, Sunday 21st May 2017

Ah, Mew, Mew… how is this one going to go? The band who swept all before them in the early 2000’s with a work of dazzling beauty and originality in 2003’s “Frengers”, subsequently delivering a string of brilliant, breathtaking “live” performances in support of this and 2006’s subsequent, patchier “…And The Glass Handed Kites”, then imploding in a swathe of muffled, muddied drum-machine dominated murk at Shepherd’s Bush Empire in 2009, in possibly the most disappointing gig I’ve ever been to. Yup, ever. From no greater heights had a band fallen, in my eyes, 2009’s “No More Stories…” album still being unlistenable for me. However, since then, the Mew ship had righted itself to a certain degree; bassist, rock god and Hugh Jackman clone Johan Wohlert returned to the fold in 2014, with a fine 2015 album “+ - ” being followed in short order with the current “Visuals”. A return to some semblance of form at least, these 2; hardly a patch on “Frengers”, but more consistent than “Kites”, which fell off a cliff after “Zookeeper’s Boy”, and a quantum improvement on “Stories…”. Cause for optimism, then, and Rach and I booked tix separately, both wishing to give our early millennial favourites another chance. However, we still wondered (and ironically so, for a band named after a Pokemon!), which evolution of Mew would be on show tonight? What on earth to expect?

A quick drive down a sun-drenched M4 to Cabot Circus, then an equally swift wander round to Bristol Trinity, avoiding a couple of rough old locals in the process… The evocative old church hall should perhaps be the ideal venue for Mew to weave their ethereal dreamscapes… First, however, support Warhaus, a Belgian 3-piece played an overpoweringly rhythmic sounding set, almost tribal early doors, before settling down to more late night torch music territory, albeit punctuated throughout by some migraine-inducing discordant percussion and irritating mouth organ blare. Their “Against The Rich”, which had a more cinematic, 60’s feel, was easily the best of a mediocre set. More entertaining were the couple who walked in wearing matching dinosaur patterned t-shirt and dress! Not sure whether to be impressed or horrified!

Took a place stage left, then swapped it to a more central spot, next to a chatty Welsh chap and his lady, so Rachel could be on Johan’s side! Led on at 9 by choirboy vocalist Jonas Bjerre, the tinkling synth chimes and pounding drums (proper drums! Yay!) of opener “In A Better Place”, augmented by the psychedelic patterned films projected onto the backstop, built to a crescendo of haunting beauty, promising much for the set. The more conventional “85 Videos” and a taut, funky “Special” followed, Johan’s slap bass to the fore. Then…

“Special” segued into the intended ethereal majesty of “Zookeeper’s Boy”, then, as they say, it all went tits up… synth, monitors and projector all seemed to fail simultaneously and the song was abandoned. As the roadies scurried around, Jonas filled in with a story of his last time in Bristol, being approached by a beautiful girl who then handed him a scientology pamphlet (!), then the band attempted “Satellites”, unfortunately with the same outcome. No other option than for a quick break whilst the tech issues were addressed…

5 minutes later, tech issues by no means resolved, they resumed with another go at “Satellites”; no projector, synth as keyboards only, and with the mix somewhat askew, bass and drums overly to the fore, giving the sound a strident, booming feel for the remainder of the set. Nonetheless, Mew powered through, the show suddenly turning into a proper full-on “rock” gig, some of the finer embellishments and nuances lost – through no fault of the band’s own this time – but the new material emerging relatively unscathed from this relative roughhousing. “Wake Of Your Life” was big, beefy and bouncy, a blood red-lit “Apocalypso” was dark, brooding and menacing, and even “Introducing Palace Players” from that “Stories…” debacle sounded pretty decent given this treatment. Through it all, the band retained their humour, Johan remarking, “we’re having a funny old time up here,” then later commenting, “I wish I had something funny to say,” to which a female punter (not my wife, oddly enough…!) replied, “you’re so beautiful it doesn’t matter!”

Set closer “Carry Me To Safety” was a plaintive, low-key finale, as a troubled set faded out. However the encore was anything but; “Nothingness And No Regrets”, the excellent opener to the new album, eased in with an array of layered vocals, ceding to the powerful, militaristic drums, then building to a haunting, angelic hook. Great stuff, but the subsequent “Am I Wry? No” finally saw the projector back, hurtling us through space to the widescreen strafing power and dazzling brilliance of one of the best singles of the century. Yes, I said “century”… “156”, haunting and ethereal, built to a strident, dramatic crescendo, then the wistful melancholy of the opening to “Comforting Sounds”, accompanied by Johan admitting, “it wasn’t the easiest of nights, but thanks for your support,” then saw the song launch into its elongated symphonic, sweeping denouement, accompanied by projections of be-suited rabbits playing violins. A deserved bow at the end from the band, plus handshakes for me from Jonas and Johan as I moved forward to grab a list, running into Devizes gig buddy Alfie in the process, before Rachel and I – for once, these days – enjoyed a quick exit from Bristol, home by 11.30. Hardly restored to their full-on “Frengers” pomp, but certainly a massive quantum step back in the right direction, despite the technical issues which, overall, I felt they handled with stoicism and fortitude. One thing’s for sure with a Mew gig, as ever – expect the unexpected!

774 MEW, Choir Of Young Believers, London Shepherd's Bush Empire, Tuesday 10 November 2009

One of the most disappointing gigs for years probably had its' roots back in 2006. It was then we learned that following extensive touring, Johan, the Hugh Jackman lookalike, Pixies fan and bringer of the low-slung rock hard edge to Mew's wistful, atmospheric mood music, had decided to leave the band. How would this affect the Mew-sic, we wondered? Finally, the answer came in "No More Stories" this year, easily Mew's weakest LP, a clutch of insubstantial flyaway songs, bereft of anchor or anger, sounding upbeat and poppy but really lacking in substance. Did we buy an A-Ha album in error?

Nevertheless, we still bought tix for their subsequent tour - if the new stuff wasn't much cop in comparison, at least we could look forward to the usual plangent brilliance of the songs from "Frengers", Mew's 2003 defining masterpiece, still one of the top 5 albums of this decade, and possessing in "Am I Wry? No" easily the best single of the noughties. "Live", after all, for me, this was the band who in 2003 looked down on The Gravel Pit in the "best live band" stakes!

So, despite a last minute panic (Rachel feeling very tired and not really up for a London show) we hit the road just after 6, leaving the kids with Grandma and parking up after a surprisingly smooth run in our usual Shepherd's Bush spot about 1/4 to 8. Got into the venue and nursed cokes near the back as support Choir Of Young Believers came on, peddling a dusty alt-country mood music, occasionally like Band Of Horses, only less hooky and with fewer tunes. Rach liked them but I think they matched her tired mood.

We took a wander onto the packed floor for this sold-out show, craning our necks for a Mew view. What I saw instantly worried me - there appeared not to be a drumkit onstage. Uh-oh... Mew came on just after 9, opening with a couple of slow-burn, atmospheric new numbers which drifted by on the breeze wafting the vast swathes of choking dry ice into this nevertheless enthusiastic crowd. Then the funky choppy bass strafes of "Special" erupted and we were away...

Or so we thought! In retrospect, "Special" stacked up pretty well to this particular "live" treatment, drum machine loops to the fore, being uber-beaty and funky anyway. However a subsequent "Zookeepers Boy", one of the 2 high watermarks in their canon, normally a stunning marriage of majestic harmony and melody, was handled roughly and sounded like it was smothered with heavy blankets. Therein lay the problem - Mew's best material is so precise, so full of beauty and melodic clarity, that it doesn't respond well to roughhousing in the way, say, American Hi-Fi's stuff would. And the tape loops and drum machine beats really worked it over badly, smothering the sound just as the dry ice smothered the usual half-remembered dreamscape backdrop films.

"Am I Wry? No" escaped relatively unscathed apart from the middle eight, "156" and "Apocalypso" sounded more muffled, then after a short and puzzling interval at 45 minutes, they returned to concentrate on the "No More Stories" material which, once again, failed to impress or stick in any way. A set-closing "Snow Brigade" was however murdered, unrecognisable from the thing of soaring beauty it normally is. "I could cry," said Rach, and I felt the same.

Encore "Comforting Sounds", its' quiet plaintive opening leading to a symphony of wonder, was the only song even approaching what Mew are normally capable of, but we left at the end, mystified and immensely disappointed. One of the best bands of this decade well and truly imploded in front of us - I hope to God that this is a temporary aberration. Either that, or the "Bring Back Johan And A Drumkit" Mew-vement begins here!

594 OK GO, MEW, Cherry Falls, Bristol Fleece, Sunday 15 June 2003

This was one of those, "Holy Shit!" gigs, when you just stare in awe at what you're witnessing. After delivering one of the most original and challenging albums of the year - hell, of any year - with "Frengers", hopes were high for this one as we travelled down the M4 listening to the Canadian GP on the radio, and anticipating... well, something special from Mew. We were not to be disappointed.

Hit an already well-attended venue at 1/4 to 8, and got drinks in before first band on, Cherry Falls, at 8. A Scottish combo, they kicked off in a Candyskins-esque perky pop manner, but quickly degenerated into plodding post-Radiohead dullness. Disappointing after a good start, and the vocalist was a total dick.

Down the front, stage left, for the entrance of Mew at 8.40. We were glad to note on the set list that they were kicking off with album opener and awesome new single "Am I Wry? No", but we were little prepared for the impact it would have. The strident, chopping guitar opening actually made Rachel jump, and the soaring, occasionally Pulp-like mid-section really took a startling hold. The beautiful choirboy vocals of Jonas Bjerre (who'd previously fooled Rach into believing this was a female-fronted band!) were a haunting highlight of a superb rendition of this single, which is rapidly becoming one of the best for years.

Then, incredibly, it got better! A brilliant "156" followed, 3 tunes in one, all out-there and otherworldly. The rest of the set, all culled from "Frengers" whirled by in a blaze of haunting, shimmering magnificence. A sure sign of how great a band is, is how low the bass player holds his instrument, and in that regard Mew pass with flying colours; the Pixies t-shirt clad, Hugh Jackman lookalike bassist Johan practically had his strapped around his ankles in a Ramones-like fashion, a point I remarked to him afterwards.

The absorbing, drawn-out "Comforting Sounds" concluded an awesome, inspirational set of power, precision and beauty. Easily the best set I've seen this year so far, this 45 minutes was over waaaaay too soon.

After that, OK Go stood no chance. They were better than their plodding, Reef-like single would suggest, and almost harmonic in a sub-Fountains Of Wayne way, but after 3 numbers Rach and I decided to hit the road, still elated by the magnificence of Mew. So off we went, and were home before 11 - ideal for a Sunday night gig!

597 PEDRO THE LION, MEW, Saint Joan, London 93 Feet East, Thursday 26 June 2003

A gig which could quite easily have gone "the way of the pear", turned out to be a startling triumph from a band that is rapidly joining the pantheon of the very special indeed. Rachel picked up on this gig the day before, so we rapidly sorted tix, and I persuaded a work colleague that he could put off a house viewing but couldn't put off rock'n'roll! So we hit the road at 5.15, and after a long tube ride to Liverpool Street and a hike through Spitalfields Market to find the venue, we arrived at 8. Of course, the first people we ran into at this smart little club was our friends David and Kevin from Seafood, doing the DJ chores tonight! Caught up with them before first band, Saint Joan, who clearly had been listening to a lot of Kristen Hersh, but their low-fi strum-alongs were cloying and indistinct rather than hypnotically melancholy.

The front got a little busy for the entrance of Mew, just after 9.30. Singer Jonas came onstage and warned us that as their equipment had seemingly all broken down simultaneously earlier in the day, tonight's set was going to be, "a little different", as he played an unfamiliar and gloomy little solo opener. The band then joined him for the low-key numbers "Symmetry" and "Eight Flew Over, One Was Destroyed", all brooding and slow-burning, but not the burstingly plangent pop of the likes of "Am I Wry? No" or "156" (both bravely omitted tonight) that we'd anticipated. However, the set really hit top gear for next number, "She Came Home For Christmas", which was starkly magnificent, emotive and pure, with Jonas' clear-as-a-bell vocals a prominent feature. The jagged, angular spookiness of "She Spider" was next up, Jonas admitting, "some of our gear still works," as the band made the most of it with a brilliant rendition. By set closer, another stellar, absorbing "Comforting Sounds", we stood convinced that we were again witnessing true greatness, a band who'd tuned adversity into a resounding triumph. A standing ovation from the awestruck crowd, and sadly unfulfilled chants for an encore, were no less than Mew deserved.

We gathered our wits after this superb set before Pedro The Lion joined us at 10.30. So slow-fi as to be stationary on last viewing, Boston 2000, this latest version of da Lion was a bass-free 2-piece ("Jesus is our bassist - he's more reliable than our last one," was the explanation from mainman David Bazan), who conversely sounded more upbeat and robust than the previous fragile hush. They were also quite good, in an American Music Club meets Grandaddy kind of way, but as with OK Go recently, they paled into utter insignificance after Mew. So after 4 numbers we bade farewell to Kev Seafood and left, to get a jump on the way home.

Wrong! After waiting 20 minutes for a Hammersmith and City train that never came, we switched to the Central line, getting back to the car just before midnight. We then hit an inexplicable amount of traffic on the M4 roadworks near Slough, reducing us to a crawl, and didn't get home until 1.30. D'oh! It takes a very special band indeed to keep us up so late on a school night these days - luckily we saw a very special band tonight in the magnificent Mew!

620 MEW, Carina Round, Ambersphere, London University Of London Union, Tuesday 2 December 2003

What with roadworks and speed traps on the M4, it now takes something very special indeed to entice us up to London on a school night. The prospect of, amazingly, Mew's first ever UK headline date was, however, very special. So Rachel and I joined a delegation oop the Smoke, parking just round the corner from ULU after a remarkably easy drive in and search for parking spots. Got in, therefore, just as the openers were tuning up. Ambersphere, for such they were, peddled a nice line in sub-Byrds/Big Star influenced harmonic countrified pop. Shame the Thrills beat them to it!

Watched Carling Cup footy in the bar before Carina Round took the stage, already running late. Her opener started with the slow desolation of a Cowboy Junkies track, and developed into a Jeff Buckley-esque warbling noisefest. I should have liked it, but found it jarring rather than intriguing, and retreated to the bar, from whence she sounded better, also recalling early PJ Harvey.

By Mew-time, the place was quite full with devotees, including a fair sprinkling of Scandinavians. Found an excellent viewing slot stage left, near the front, behind lots of short people, for Mew's fashionably late entrance at 10. From the opening bars of "Am I Wry? No" it was evident that they were "on it", and thereafter were nothing less than awesome, awe-inspiring and brilliant throughout.

Mew are unlucky that their emergence coincided with a year I finally saw David Bowie, otherwise they'd be No.1 live act, no question, to go with their top single and album awards for this year. This is the 3rd time I've seen them and each time has been radically different; the OK Go support slot all about power and impact, the 93 Ft. East gig a triumph of stark, simple beauty, and this one, which reeked of consummate professionalism and perfection from a band clearly aware that they are on the up... and up! The sound was possibly better than I've ever heard it at the occasionally muddy sounding ULU, and the boys did it full justice, Jonas' choirboy innocent vocals never once missing a note.

A trio of unfamiliar numbers followed the angelic "Wry" and plangent "156", each underlining the fact that Mew are no one-shot wonders, then the haunting, broodingly magnificent "She Came Home For Christmas" solicited a deserved lengthy ovation. "She Spider", jagged, menacing and dynamic, was a late highlight, before the wistful charm of "Snow Brigade" abruptly ended a 45 minute set which seemed seconds long.

Back on for "Comforting Sounds",a perfect end to a set brimming with melancholy, menace, beauty and power. The ovation at the end said it all; they and we knew that they'd delivered, in the biggest way possible.

Afterwards, emotions were mixed; pure unrivalled elation at the incredible gig we'd seen tonight was tempered with the realisation that we can't hold Mew back. They're all over Radio 1 and MTV2 like a rash, and soon they'll be headlining stadia, blowing away the Coldplays of this world and showing them up as the pretenders to the throne of elegiac, haunting world domination that Mew rightly deserve. Sure, they deserve it, but dammit, we saw them first! They're OURS!

I hope that never changes.

669 MEW, Pure Reason Revolution, London Institute of Contemporary Arts, Monday 25 July 2005

Yet another in an increasing number of London jaunts on a school night, but this time there was no debate. We were up for the return of the mighty Mew, having scored tix for their hopefully triumphant return at the ICA before it completely sold out. Yup, it wasn't just us waiting for their return!

So a carload of us decided to brave the alleged war-zone that London has apparently become over the last couple of weeks, thanks to terrorist attacks on the transport systems. However, despite the usual congestion, an inspired plan saw us parking in Pall Mall, just round the corner from the ICA on the Mall, at 10 to 8, and for free! Good thing too, as the Admiralty Arch Car Park charged £13! Ouchie!

The venue itself is a study in contrast - a posh arts theatre lobby leads to an equally posh balcony bar, which then leads into a black-painted, dingy, scuzzy little rock'n'roll room not unlike Oxford Zodiac, with an equally high stage. We wandered in for support Pure Reason Revolution, but quickly wandered out as their initially intriguing wall-of-sound turned into some horrible prog rock doodling and pseudo-choral droning which recalled Jefferson Airplane! In other words, exactly the type of band we fought the punk wars to get rid of!

So we popped back to the bar and had a drink, standing next to Creation boss Alan McGhee! Resisted the temptation to go up to him and say, "Mr. McGhee, don't make me angry...you wouldn't like me when I'm angry!"

Expectations were running high as we wandered back into the venue for Mew's anticipated 9.30 start. After delivering one of the most extraordinary, breathtaking and dazzlingly original albums for, well, ever, in 2003's "Frengers", the big big question was, "what next?" How can they possibly hope to top, or even come close to equalling, that? Well, they kept us waiting for 10 minutes past the allotted time, before coming on to a heroes' welcome from this audience of devotees. Opening with a moody, almost full instrumental number, they were quickly into their stride with a blitzing trio of "Am I Wry? No", "156" and "Snow Brigade", the opening triad from that extraordinary "Frengers" CD. Full of smouldering power, widescreen sound and beauty, they were supreme renditions, ever-so-slightly tinkered with to keep them fresh, and segued into each other perfectly, recalling Pale Saints in that aspect.

As for new stuff, "The Zookeeper's Boy" firmly buried any fears that this might not be up to snuff; this was an epic emotive song of mighty soaring power and beauty, prompting a "Wow!" moment between Rachel and myself. Even amongst Mew numbers, this was special! The magical "She Came Home For Christmas", perfectly complemented by a snow-scaped film projected onto the cloth backdrop, followed, Jonas' vocals an expression of purity and clarity, particularly in the inspirational middle eight. Another couple of newies followed; "Why Are You Looking Grave", a crunchier new number featuring a guest vocalist (an old friend of the band, apparently) projected onto the backdrop - none other than J Mascis! The set closer "Apocalypso" rounded off quite the quickest 45 minutes I've spent recently. Utterly brilliant.

An encore of "Comforting Sounds", Johan again accentuating the bond between this very special band and their audience with a heartfelt and effusive thanks, rounded off this extraordinary experience. All questions answered, all fears buried - Mew are back and this time the world will take notice!

674, 675 MEW, Pure Reason Revolution, Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms and London Islington Academy, Sunday 18 and Monday 19 September 2005

A good old-fashioned double-header in the exquisite company of the best band currently "active" on Planet Earth. We'd booked the Islington tix before they'd announced a few provincial dates, and thought, Portsmouth on a Sunday? Why not?

So Rachel, Tim, Penny and I hit the road just after 6, and despite appalling traffic, parked up in Southsea before doors at 8. Knowing how bad the support were, we repaired to a local hostelry to pass the time, only to go into the venue at 9 to find they'd not even been on yet! D'oh! So we hid in the darkest recesses of the WWR bar while Pure Reason Revolution were on, once again peddling the kind of self-indulgent choral prog rock bollocks we fought the punk wars to kill off! Tim and Penny decided to stay at the back to get a Mew overview at this wide venue, but Rach and I wandered onto the dancefloor, stage right, for their entrance.

Without wishing to overstate matters, at this time in 2005, Mew are the best band "active" and currently making music on the planet. The sheer scope, breadth and haunting beauty and majesty of their work has in fact rarely been exceeded, and "Frengers" for me is probably one of my top 10 albums ever. They are the high watermark in music everyone else aspires to, and currently falls way short of. Got that straight?

Just wanted to make that clear, that the standards they have are colossal. And so, to start off, this set disappointed somewhat. A discordant yet intriguing opener was followed by the familiar drum crash opening of "Am I Wry? No", yet something seemed missing. The frenzied devotion of the crowd, that Mew thrive on and feed off, was absent, and subsequent "156" and "Snow Brigade" run-throughs only served to lift the admittedly sell-out crowd slightly above somnambulence. I remarked to Rach after a no more than lukewarm reaction to "Wry", "they'll have to work hard to win this lot over".

Then, it all changed, with "Zookeeper's Boy". A lush, slow burn of an epic, this new number is even special by Mew standards, its' sonic breadth and reach never exceeding Mew's grasp, but its multi-layered vocals, and pure falsetto lead from Jonas, fair taking your breath away. That solicited a huge ovation - finally!

A touching "Eight Flew Over", and a joyful and plangent "She Came Home For Christmas", and Mew were finally hitting their stride. A clutch of newies followed - the straightforward stomp of "Special" and the J Mascis "Grave" duet - J's image projected onto the backdrop, breaking up the dreamscapes and Beatrix Potter imagery of cats and rabbits in military dress playing violins. Then a strident, Savage "She Spider" closed a swift 50 minute set.

A jagged, nervy encore of "Apocalypso" preceded the slow-burning climax of "Comforting Sounds", which featured bassist Johan fulsomely praising the crowd - really though this was the other way around, as this was a minor triumph from Mew, an object lesson in how to startle and win over an initially apathetic crowd.

What a difference a day makes! And the question as to how two sets can be identical yet wildly different was answered emphatically at Islington. Rach and I only this time; we left at 6, parking up at the NI Centre at 8, and stayed in the venue lobby this time to avoid the support, gorging ourselves on merch instead! Hit the venue - heaving, another sell-out - and got a good spot near the front, stage left, for Mew.

They came on at 9 and played the exact same set as yesterday, but what a difference! This time, the drum crash of "Am I Wry? No" was greeted with a huge ovation, and Mew were soaring from the outset, bristling with confidence, power and strident, majestic brilliance. Once again, "Zookeeper's Boy" was an early highlight, the astonishing music complemented by the other-worldly images of dancing tigers and ballerina cats on the backdrop. Weird to the extreme, yet strangely fitting.

Every move Mew made tonight was greeted with huge cheers, and the band - particularly Jonas and Johan - reflected that enthusiasm back in their performance. Jonas' voice, at times strained the previous night, was choirboy pure and glitteringly emotive, and Johan brought the rock, the low-slung bass receiving a battering as his angular frame threw shapes, hair seemingly flying everywhere! Again, the set was blink-and-you'd-miss-it swift at 50 minutes (if only I could make 50 minutes go that quickly at work!), and again, the sinister, jagged "Apocalypso" and "Comforting Sounds" closed the proceedings. This time, however, as Johan thanked the crowd for being awesome on this, their biggest London gig to date, it made more sense. The crowd had played their part, and Mew had responded in kind by raising their considerably high standards even higher. Home by 12, still awestruck.

So Mew; untouchable right now, but even more so in London, it seems. And next year they're playing the larger-still Shepherd's Bush Empire...!

684 MEW, Envy And Other Sins, Bristol Fleece, Sunday 23 October 2005

More Mew? You bet! Their second tour in the space of a month saw us getting tix for the Bristol show, so we drove down in inclement weather, hitting the Fleece just after 8 and just in time for another one of Mew's dubious support bands.

Or so we thought! Envy And Other Sins had a horrible name, and sported Farmers Boys-style waistcoats and neckties, so could quite easily have been a disaster. However this Birmingham 4-piece were much better than that - tunes with the urgency of early Marion, a quirky, quintessentially British attitude similar to British Sea Power, and a zeitgeisty XTC/ Gang Of Four sound nevertheless wrapped round some fine hooky choruses. One to watch, perhaps...

I took a quick squirt before Mew's due time of 9.15, bumping into drummer Silas on the way out, so I wished him a good gig. Took my place with Rachel down the front, stage left, for Mew's eventual entrance at 9.30. Operating largely with the same set as their 2 recent shows, with a couple of tweaks to satisfy and surprise us regulars, Mew were once again magnificent in themselves, their performance and the articulation of their deliciously crafted sound, despite a blown speaker near us fuzzing things up a little. Once again, like their recent Portsmouth gig, the Sunday Bristol crowd seemed flat and relatively unresponsive - don't these people know when they're in the presence of true musical greatness?

In many ways, Mew have become my "home team" for me, as Echo And The Bunnymen were in the 80's, epitomising everything a rock band should be. Other-worldly, untouchable, glacially cool in both music and style, ready to rock and emote in equal measure, never less than brilliant "live". Once again "Zookeepers Boy" stood out as a, "what the fuck was that???!!!" moment, and whilst "She Came Home For Christmas" sounded a little thin, the funky "Special" ("about Mika," joked Bo, before singer Jonas cut him dead with a surprisingly hard stare) sounded tough, strident and never better.

Encores "Apocalypso" and "Comforting Sounds" ("this one's called "Mika"", said Bo again - luckily Jonas wasn't around at this point) capped another stunning set, which I have to say this crowd really did not deserve. Home in filthy weather - but we'd drive through any conditions to see Mew right now!

691 MEW, Envy And other Sins, London Shepherd's Bush Empire, Thursday 9 February 2006

Suffering with a banging migraine today, but there was no way I'd miss this gig! This, Mew's biggest UK headliner to date, promised to be a real event, so we were on our way at 6, Rachel and myself with Tim and Penny, parking up at 8 and just missing first band the Perishers. Shame.

Took a position by the bar, stage right, as the place filled up - mainly with tall blond/e people who insisted on standing in front of us! Main support Envy And Other Sins were on at 8.30 - as before they were togged up like the Farmer's Boys and playing some frenetic post-Britpop New Wave jangle. For some reason, their itchy rhythms and intrinsic tunefulness recalled Kaiser Chiefs and a bit of Hot Hot Heat's bounciness, and despite being a bit lost on the big stage, they made a favourable impression again, with some memorable tunes.

So all was set for the entrance of Mew at 9.30. A rejigged stage set-up, with Johan on a riser behind vocalist Jonas, and Silas' drumkit to one side, also reflected a reworked set, with Silas' drum stomp getting the opening taut, funky "Special" under way. This, in fitting with their new-found status as Empire hosts, reflected a heightened sense of perfection and professionalism, all the hard work immediately worthwhile. Next up, "Shelter", occasionally discordant, had never sounded better, and the opening of "Am I Wry? No", like surf breaking in your face, was both refreshing and shocking in its strident noise.

We were spot-on with our pre-gig belief that this was an "event", perfectly planned and executed to the letter, the weird, baroque and dreamlike imagery projected onto the backdrop dovetailing perfectly into the ephemeral, gossamer quality of the music and untouchable cool of the band themselves. Spontaneous it was definitely not, with each move mapped with military precision. But it gave up none of its awe, beauty or emotion as a consequence. "Zookeepers Boy", this time late on in the set, was once again the brilliant highlight, at which point Rach and I decanted to the back to watch the set finale. Encores of "She Spider", jagged and harsh, and a soothing final "Comforting Sounds" rounded off this perfect 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Elation mixed with melancholy afterwards - as Mew get bigger and bigger, they're being swept up by undeserving people, as our less-than-joyful gig experience tonight (too many people, too rude, too tall!) proved. However, they deserve it, of that there's no doubt, and overall, it's been a pleasure and a privilege to accompany them on another step towards their inevitable superstardom.