Mindless Self Indulgence – Roundhouse, Camden – 11.07.08

First up on tonight’s electro-themed line-up is duo Robots in Disguise, bringing their girl punk band vocals to catchy yet silly electro-pop. With songs like “The Sex Has Made Me Stupid” and an energetic cover of The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me,” they serve as a perfect opening to the evening.

Next up, a move towards rave as IAMX and his band, dressed like true cabaret stars in glitter, heavy make-up and frills, take the stage and boom out some heavy-beat, synth-infused dark dance. Lyrics are mainly about parties, sex and sexuality – “Wanna be a sailor?” – but the audience laps it up and with surprising enthusiasm for a support band.

And then, Mindless Self Indulgence take the stage and fill all of it with their presence. Little Jimmy Urine leaps from the shadows to begin a frenzied rendition of “Shut Me Up,” complete with perfect high squeals for the phrase “knock me up.”

Any parents accompanying hyper-14 year olds would at this point be wondering just what they’ve let themselves in for. And that’s when Jimmy decides to introduce the show. “Tonight, people, we’re going to abuse you like hard drugs! What kind of drugs are you?...Love? Love?! Eugh! Get the f*** out of here, you hippy!” And welcome to the general repertoire of abuse that is to be the main part of the on-stage banter for the evening.

Mindless Self Indulgence love to insult their audience. They want a reaction. Frontman Jimmy spends an embarrassingly long time between songs informing us on just how ugly and stupid we are. At one point, the audience is “held hostage” – he refuses to play on until someone hands him a £20 note. Which some unwitting and most likely drunk fool does. A fool who is now £20 less rich.

But all of this adds to the sense of juvenile joy that Mindless Self Indulgence put into their music. Even though they play their most well-known material at the beginning, causing to a slight dip in atmosphere towards the end, their performance cannot be faulted on its raw energy. Steve Righ? swings his guitar around, mancially eyeing the audience. Drummer Kitty grins wildly. Bassist Lyn-Z arches backwards until her head almost touches the floor before springing two feet into the air. And Jimmy is like a kid having drunk 8 litres of Coca Cola.

Crazy lyrics and crazy stage antics? A gimmick? Many would think so. But then many take music far too seriously. MSI write songs that are bizarre, and quite frankly hilarious. And they just happen to be damn catchy. “Never Wanted To Dance,” a strange combo of electro-industrial-rock, is ironically one of their best dance songs. “Bitches” verges on rap, with repetitive bass and disjointed lyrics. “Faggot” gets the entire audience squealing hopelessly out of tune and chanting gleefully “I’ve been denied all the best ultra-sex.” What other band could get an audience to chant such things willingly?

And this is the essence of Mindless Self Indulgence. They’re like no other band and they’re a whole lot of fun.