Music > Live Reviews

Dingus Khan

18/03/18

It is just under a year since I last ventured to Bury St Edmunds AKA BSE Rock City AKA Sugartown for a Washing Machine night at the Hunter Club. Last time out, it was for Horse Party’s last ever gig (sob). Today, it is snowing and I’ve decided, in my infinite (lack of) wisdom to do the 85 mile round trip for Dingus Khan. Well, it is Dingus Khan, innit? And there’s not three, not four but five - yep FIVE - support bands, all for four quid.

The first two bands come out of the local Queens Road Studio Rock School. Both are young - scarily young for an old git like me! Opening are four piece The Daze, followed by five piece Substation. Both play three covers and an original and both have a scratchy, post-punky, Joy Divisiony sound, albeit that may be down to the mix. As good as The Daze’s take on Blitzkrieg Bop and Substation’s cover of The Cult’s Rain are, it is the originals that are the highlights of both sets.

At this stage, it is far too early to say that these bands are the future of rock ‘n’ roll but, in the hands of the likes of these kids, it is safe to say that guitar-drums-bass rock does at least have a future and that can only be a good thing. 

After that, Radio Orwell are positively old hands, albeit that they haven’t been playing together as a unit for that long. Theirs is an indiepop that references The Cure and the Antipodean jangle that was the hallmark of the Flying Nun label. It is well crafted, heartfelt and thoroughly enjoyable, if not exactly earth-shatteringly original. 

There is a distinct change of style for the jazzy, funky gumbo of Sam Eagle & The Lemon Lizards. To be frank, this mix of Portico Quartet, Thundercat and 70s cop drama soundtracks ain’t my thing (or should that be thang?) but they are clearly talented, passionate musicians that are very good at what they do. The audience are induced to some enthusiastic head nodding and a hearty clap along. Like I said, it’s not my bag at all but I stayed to the end of the set and was kinda won over by it. 

The churning alt.rock of Blue Mean Eyes, on the other hand, is exactly my kinda thing. Lauren (vox/bass), Toby (guitar/vox) and Charles (drums/vox) take the sounds of Pixies, Nirvana and Green River (the band that begat Mudhoney and Pearl Jam) and twist them into something new and exciting. Being (perhaps overly) critical, one or two of the songs may just be a tad longer than is strictly necessary but, overall, this was a fine set from an impressive band.

And so to the reason I have braved the cold and the snow and the fecking A roads between Norwich and BSE. To describe Dingus Khan to anyone who had never witnessed them in full flight is close to impossible. Take the line-up. The line up nominally consists of a singing guitarist, two drummers, two bass players and a mandolinist dishing out the lead breaks or any combination of these. Tonight, they are one bassist down. Then there’s the image. Five blokes in white - dungarees or boiler suits being preferred -  with a frontman in a dress. On top of that, there are the songs. The lyrics are sometimes surreal and often ridiculous but always demand a singalong. Musically, things always seem on the edge of falling apart. There is glam stomp and punk energy and DIY attitude. For all that, at its core, maybe despite itself, there are keen melodies and a pop sensibility. Whatever, Dingus Khan are pure ENTERTAINMENT.

It has been a while since I last saw Dingus Khan. Must be at least a couple of years. There are new songs and old. Highlights are too many to mention but have to include Ambulance, complete with the vast majority of the audience joining in the patented phone, phone me an ambulance dance, Kid In My School and My New Hat,

This has genuinely been one of the hottest, steamiest gig I have been to for bloody years. The crowd is dancing, moshing and, in a couple of cases, skanking throughout Dingus Khan’s set. There is crowd-surfing, an attempt at stage-diving - impressive, given the low stage! - and, of course, the likes of Knifey Spooney, Milk of Every Mammal and Made A List induce mass singalongs.

As always, a big shout out must go out to the Washing Machine massive for organising brilliant nights like this and, tonight at least, making sure there was plenty of cold water to cool the audience down. 

Just one question though. Why, late in the set, did Dingus frontman Mick Squalor (AKA Ben Brown) leave the stage to get a standard lamp? The mind boggles.