Which wave of emo are we on now? Regardless of your opinion, Hot Mulligan are riding it and the Rescue Rooms crowd were treated to a high-energy night of catchy hooks and sad songs...
Spanish Love Songs opened things up, and were an immediate hit - so much so that they’ve just announced a Nottingham headline show in January! They only had a short time on stage - which they acknowledged - but they duly smashed through as many songs as possible within the timeframe.
The band were keen to shout out their latest album No Joy, released just a few weeks prior. They performed a good mix of newer tracks as well as older fan favourites, finishing with Brave Faces, Everyone, which garnered the best reception I’ve seen for a support act for quite some time.
Side note: more punk bands should have keyboard players; it really made SLS stand out to me (especially as someone who is not overly familiar with their music).
By the time Hot Mulligan arrived on stage the crowd was riled up and feverish. Shirts were thrown off immediately as mosh pits opened before the first note had even been played. I even heard what I think is the loudest “YEAHHHH” from a single audience member that I have ever experienced.
They brought out their most famous song *Equip Sunglasses* as the second track of the night. It was a bold move, but one I think a lot of bands could learn from. A real banger right near the start really helped get the energy in the room going.
“My voice is only just coming back after our last show, I’m gonna blow it out again!” yelled lead singer Tades, to an adoring reception from the crowd. I couldn’t tell he was struggling though, as his voice sounded pretty much spot on compared to their records.
Tades’ vocals are a bit like Marmite among pop-punk/emo fans, some love his strained delivery while to others it's like nails on a chalkboard. Personally, as a fan of his style, I’d recommend checking the band out live even if you don’t get on with his voice on record. I think it blends a little better in a live setting, with noisier and slightly looser instrumentation.
The band appear as a five piece live, and lead guitarist Ryan Malicsi really shines. With super crisp tone and incredibly precise playing, it was one of the most impressive punky guitar performances I've witnessed in recent memory.
"Ok we're gonna play a bunch of songs in a row, it's all vibes and no talent from here on out" were the famous last words which preceded a run of tracks from the band's latest LP Why Would I Watch. I recommend giving it a spin, especially if you like humorous song titles. Tunes like No Shoes In The Coffee Shop (Or Socks) and Shhhh! Golf Is On will stand them in good stead for their upcoming dates supporting Fall Out Boy, the undisputed kings of stupid song titles.
The night ended perfectly with Bckyrd, a throwback from their breakout 2020 album you'll be fine. The lyrics hit hard; "Things don't get better, no things don't get better just different". A bleak thought, but certainly one that we all experience from time to time. Nothing that a bit of concert catharsis can’t sort out though.
Hot Mulligan performed at Rescue Rooms on 5 September 2023.
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