PJ Molloys, Dunfermline
18/02/23
In the modern age, when it comes to dating, there’s a growing tendency to just have one-off hook-ups, & never see your ‘just add-water’ instalover again after one of them nights. The same spirit applies to my role as a reviewer. I don’t go & see bands twice – except, that is, until I saw Mickey 9s for the first time last Autumn – I’m like, fucking hell, these guys are shit hot! Returning to my metaphor, they’re like one of those one-off hooks up ya have, who get reyt under your skin , & you just have to start messaging again!
So, 2023 comes along, & I hear they’re playing a gig in Dunfermline, where one of Mumble’s weapon’s grade comedy reviewers lives. So, off to Dunfermline I went, was more than warmly received by Ewan & his missus, Claire, then off to PJ Molloys we strutted. As we progress’d thro ancient streets of Scotland’s ultimate royal burh, I could see their Mickey 9s cherries all ripe & rave-ready hovering somewhere over their devachanic auras, wating to be popp’d. They didn’t have a clue what was coming – I did, it was gonna be great.
The venue, PJ Molleys, is quality. Just off the street, spacious, & slightly below ground, with cheap beers & reyt friendly staff, it’s a superb addition to the Caledonian live music armoury. The audience was healthy & up for it, including a few folk I knew from Edinburgh (thanks for photos Anne), & a very appreciative local crowd – they know their music in the kingdom, you can tell.
‘With ease they dropped Public Enemy lines and LCD Soundsytem cultural storytelling into a set of seriously danceable and, joyfully genre defying, ‘instant favourites’, each one chanted along with at a Hampden level uproar by a partisan and euphoric crowd’
Ewan Law
As for Ewan, it took him about half a tune to bounce off into his own unique element, declaring Mickey 9s were the best new band he’d seen in 12 years, among other superlatives he managed to eagerly slip into the night’s fabric between pulling his moves.
As for me, I genuinely feel happy to the see the band – they’ve got some proper beltin’ disco vibes going down, including their diamond-sharp new track, Straight White Male, I think its call’d. So much so, I’m hoping they can get over & play a gig on Arran in September this year, where I live – I want to keep on this current acolytical trip a bit longer, & spread their joys to world! The idea it would be the third & final final part of my personal Mickey 9s tryptych – part one Glasgow, part two Dunfermline – which was rocking by the way – & part 3 Arran, so lets see how the year rolls.
Words: Damian Bullen
Photography: Anne McIntosh, Ewan Law & Robert Adam
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