DEMOB HAPPY AT TURF CLUB

BY SHANNA SIVAKUMAR

Alternative rock band Demob Happy is currently on tour in North America, and this past Wednesday, the 15th of November, they made a stop at Minneapolis for a night of alcohol-infused drinks and metal & rockinfused music.

Demob Happy is a trio of musicians consisting of lead singer and bassist Matthew Marcantonio, drummer Thomas Armstrong, and guitarist Adam Godfrey. The trio (originally a quartet) formed in 2008 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Their first release was their debut EP, “You Shook the Soul,” which was released in 2011. And after a few singles and EPs scattered in between, their debut album, “Dream Soda,” dropped in 2015. After their lead guitarist, Mathew Renforth, departed from the band in 2016, they co-headlined a tour with rock band Tigercub. Following their tour, the band dropped a second album in 2018, titled “Holy Doom.” They performed songs off this album while opening for Jack White’s UK leg of his Boarding House Reach world tour later that year. Their third studio album, “Divine Machines,” was released earlier this year and is the album they are performing on their current tour.

The concert was held at Turf Club, a twolevel venue with a bar and stage on the top floor and a basement bar and stage below. The St. Paul venue is a historical landmark, originally opened in the 1940s as a supper club and dancehall. The space is cozy, with standing space in front of the stage and the rest of the room filled with tables for eating and a bar on the right end of the venue. Turf Club is now managed under First Avenue, and the place sees a steady stream of musicians come in and out of its doors.

The opening act was rock and metal group BlurCurve, an energetic four-piece band with a female lead singer. Their set was metal, with lyrics that speak of resistance and power, with a touch of angst towards the end of their 30-minute set. But the angst was in the lyrics, not the music itself. This provided a high-energy performance that kept the audience up and moving and hyped-up for Demob Happy.

And once Demob Happy hit the stage, the energy rocketed even higher as they jumped right into the music. They performed songs primarily off of their third studio album, “Divine Machines.” Lead singer Mathew Marcantonio had the crowd singing along to each track, while Thomas Armstrong kept everyone up on their feet with his drum work. Adam Godfrey added flavor to each song, his guitar skills impressive and commanding on stage. After a few songs, Marcantonio addressed the crowd and honestly took me aback me with his English accent. I wasn’t aware of their British roots, so imagine my surprise when he opened his mouth to speak and found out that a band with a song titled “Sweet & Sour America” was not actually… American. Regardless, I have a penchant for British bands, so it was a pleasant surprise.

A highlight of the night was when they played one of their most recent releases, “Sweet & Sour America,” a heavy rock track that speaks of the morbidity of everyday America. With lyrics like “Suck it to the new religion / Pharmacate the blues / All American sorrow lifting / Give me what I choose,” they say what we are already thinking, just in a more musical, concise way that rhymes and sounds much better than a possible thesis on the pharmaceutical hegemony in this country…

Another moment to note was when they played “Autoportrait,” an up-beat track about being happy, in love and present in the moment. It is one of their most popular songs within their discography, and that was clear by the audience’s reaction. The crowd loved this track, as they sang and danced along to the entire song. Their next most popular track, “Less is More,” also garnered a lot of noise and cheering.

Overall, the concert was great. Between the cozy venue, high-power opener, and the star of the show — Demob Happy — I could not get enough of the night. Would I see them again if possible? Absolutely, but only if I don’t have class the next day.

You can find them on instagram @demob_happy !