The Men at Village Underground

The Men came on to the stage quite late at the Village Underground, but once there their set felt limitless.

Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, The Men’s early discography is almost inaccessible to the casual listener. The predominance of noise rock, so-called for its aggressive nature, is overwhelming. The band’s sound has progressed though: their debut album Tomorrow’s Hits, released this year, features more melodic guitar riffs and catchy tunes, and has had comparisons to the likes of Bruce Springsteen and The Rolling Stones. But it really is the noise rock influence that makes The Men so mesmerising to watch, so easy to get swept away in the sheer vitality of their set.

Starting off with loud, fast guitar and heavy drums, they pulled out all the stops on the rock front. The audience were immediately riled up into moshpits. At first endless instrumentals shook the Village Underground, with the drums vibrating even the very back of the hall.

But interwoven between the fast-paced songs were the hits from their debut. Compared to the noise rock, this included such out of place sounds as beach-inspired indie rock and ultra slowed down numbers, complete with egg shakers. Songs such as Settle Me Down and Different Days were the most memorable for their melodic guitar and catchy choruses.

The highlight of the concert was Pearly Gates, a blues-inspired fusion of keyboard, electric guitar, wailing singers and trumpets. The result was an energetic performance that left the crowd reeling.

From start to finish The Men had the audience enthralled; there was no limit to the band’s stamina onstage, and the diversity of noise to slow, melodic inspired songs was interesting and never dry.

Bryonie Carolan
Photos: Adam Bennett

For further information and future events visit The Men’s website here.

Watch the video for Pearly Gates here: