Gig: ME REX with Sunny Side Down at Exchange, Bristol
ME REX
On Sunday night we headed to Exchange in Bristol to catch ME REX on the third night of their UK tour, supported by Sunny Side Down. ME REX feels like a band I've discovered long after the party's started. With roots stretching back to 2015, they've firmly established themselves within the UK DIY scene, releasing a series of EPs as well as two albums 2021 ambitious Megabear project and this year’s more traditional Giant Elk.
An album that's sure to be a prominent contender on my end-of-year list, Giant Elk’s lead single "Eutherians (Ultramarine)" was my introduction to the band and I was immediately captivated. Their seamless blend of indie/emo/punk, interwoven with layered harmonies and lyrics destined to be inked deep into skin, completely consumed me. So, when I found out they were touring this month, I knew I had to embark on the journey up the M4 to Bristol to witness them in the flesh.
Sunny Side Down
Sunny Side Down
Arriving at Exchange early (there might be an interview with ME REX hitting the site in the near future), we decided to fill in some time before the gig by browsing the racks of Specialist Subject, who have their physical shop on-site at the venue. As we were looking through the shop's impressive collection, we bumped into Sunny Side Down. After telling the energetic young band that I’ll be spinning their Rich Mandell-produced single "HELLO KITTY PEZ DISPENSER" on this week's radio show, we chatted with them and bonded with drummer George over our shared Wiltshire roots.
The Warrick-based band comprised of Maya (Vocals/Guitar), Alec (Bass), Jasper (Guitar), and George (Drums) brought their youthful exuberance to the stage at Exchange, delivering a set that conjured up a sonic blend of twee-infused indie pop reminiscent of Bristol's legendary Sarah Records label and the fourth-wave emo of bands like Modern Baseball. The aforementioned "HELLO KITTY PEZ DISPENSER" was a standout of the set, with audience members singing along to every word despite the track's release just earlier in the month.
The combination of Sunny Side Down's perfectly timed emo/indie-pop blend and their ability to get the crowd dancing and singing along with them suggests that this band is here to stay. Their energetic performance and catchy tunes left an indelible mark on the audience, and we're confident that this won't be the last we'll hear from them.
ME REX
ME REX
Following advice from a seasoned Exchange giggoer, we moved stage right to get the best possible view of ME REX’s set. As the lights went down, the band's recently penned sci-fi-inspired intro music filled the venue as Myles McCabe(Guitar/Keys/Vocals), Phoebe Cross (Drums/Vocals), and Rich Mandell (Bass/Keys/Vocals/Productions) entered the stage like heroes returning from an epic quest, complete with McCabe clad in a tartan cape.
They ripped straight into the banging “Giant Giant Giant”, one of the pre-release singles from Giant Elk. The early part of the set was dominated by highlights from Giant Elk, playing “Eutherians (Ultramarine)”, and “Jawbone” back to back to back after “Giant Giant Giant” at the start of the set. I was in heaven; it was completely euphoric to hear songs that I am in love with being played in the flesh.
ME REX are an amazing live band and that even seems like an understatement. McCabe is an infectious live performer filled to the brim with energy. He could barely stand still throughout the set jumping, pogoing, and dancing along with every note like a kid who has eaten all the red Smarties. Cross is a formidable drummer. Her rhythms are the driving force of the band. She packs so much power and skill into each beat. While watching her lay down the beat, we spotted Crispin the duck perched on her kick drum.
As for Mandell, I am even more obsessed with his bass playing after seeing him play live than even after I devoured Giant Elk. I love his melodic bass playing, especially his use of picked bass chords and his technical one-handed playing at the same time as he played his Moog. It is something to behold.
The band’s set had everything that a fan could have wanted, fusing tracks from their latest album with classics and beautiful transitions in between. It felt like a truly collaborative set, allowing all three members to chat to the crowd as well as giving everyone moments to shine musically. The set was so collaborative that at one point when McCabe, having admitted to forgetting to bring his setlist on stage, the band invited the audience to select the next track to play. The crowd selected the punky “Swingset”, an absolute jam from the band's Stegosaurus EP. The crowd was dancing along, going wild to the track in much the same way as McCabe was bouncing around on stage. The transition into “Never Graduate” was seamless, with its Moog-heavy intro. The middle part of the set was heavy with ME REX classics, alongside “Swingset” and “Never Graduate”. The band also played “Heart Of Garbage”, “Jupiter Pluvius”, and “Robtoswalkonwater (the floor is made of lava)”.
After “Robtoswalkonwater (the floor is made of lava)”, ME REX ripped into “Pythons”, a personal highlight of the night for me. The track is my favourite off Giant Elk, and hearing it live was everything I wished it would be. Having heard earlier in the night about his lyrical inspiration for the track and much of the album—the grief of losing his father—made the track hit even harder. Following “Pythons” was “Skin, It Itches” from the band's Pterodactyl EP. It’s awe-inspiring to watch the band fit so many lyrics into such a short track. As the band headed towards the end of their set, they ripped into the epic “Summer Bevis”. Its lyrics are even more visual live. Fittingly, following “Summer Bevis”, the band closed with back-to-back worm tracks from Giant Elk: “Slow Worm” and “Infinity Worm”. All three tracks have elements that fuse into one another, creating an almost endless circle of music. As “Infinity Worm” reached its climax, McCabe leapt from the stage and, summoning his inner Homer Simpson, did circles on the floor.
If you ever get a chance to see ME REX play, I implore you to do so. The band has a completely captivating live performance. All three members are brilliant musicians, and their songwriting is breathtaking. An intimate venue like Exchange is the perfect type of place to hear ME REX, surrounded by fellow fans whom the words of each song truly resonate with. You can feel the passion boil with each beat and feel the electricity as the fans sing back each line.
Catch ME REX on the final dates of their UK tour
21 November - Gullivers, Manchester
22 November - Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh
23 November - Broadcast, Glasgow
24 November - Wharf Chambers, Leeds
