Mark William Lewis Live: Giggin’ it alone
By Angus Piper
The room started sweating when they played ‘Brain’, a loud, high-energy track from the new album. A highlight of the concert, the wobbling, distorted lead guitar encapsulated Mary’s Underground; imagine ‘Cortez the killer’ on an exploding planet.
Have you ever been to a gig alone?
Hundreds of unknown faces and no one to follow into a jam packed mosh pit?
To try and start a conversation, or to simply absorb the music and crowd like a sponge?
I chose the latter, feeling for the first time the freedom of a solo mission at a sold-out show. A Wednesday night and Mark William Lewis, one of London’s most exciting exports playing for the first time in Sydney.
When I first heard Mark William Lewis’s debut EP ‘Pleasure is everything’ I mistakenly said:
‘I know who this is!’.
Thinking it was new work by the Duratti Column’s Vini O’Reilly. I’m not the first to make this comparison and Mark has repeatedly cited The Duratti Column as his biggest influence.
The lush guitar sounds drew pictures of stars blotted out by those already exploded. It was the kind of music you listened to alone, full of painful hope and expired resistance. The notes were like shadows cast by a full moon.
I was a big fan of MWL’s subsequent releases, especially his self-titled album that graced us last year. The deep vocals had grown stronger and spoke of addiction and self-induced emotional warfare. On a whim I brought a ticket and planned to convince friends to come along, yet my fate was sealed as it sold-out shortly after.
Leaving friends at a pub enjoying a delightful taste of jazz and laughter, I almost crashed a Lime bike closing my eyes to the bass heavy ‘Life with life’. I had a feeling it would be a good show.
Inside and alone, dazed under the red lights I scanned faces to see some familiarity. But as always in Sydney, the pocket of people who enjoy certain music is deeper than you think. Grabbing a beer, I realised as a tall male I should probably stand up the back, but it didn’t reflect my love for the band, so I nestled beside the stage with an obscure view, half MWL, half crowd.
The sound was unreal and the band precise, hitting every note with delicate passion and each song ending in a crescendo of desperate chaos. The crowd sang along to ‘Painkillers’ and I believed we had shared the same revelations I had, listening to the music alone. Tempos shift like sand between songs, with ‘Tomorrow is perfect’ inspiring a slow dance, to the stripped back post-punk ballad ‘Seventeen’, containing some of my favourite lyrics:
‘He said he saw a cartoon devil
He always liked to play with metal’
The room started sweating when they played ‘Brain’, a loud, high-energThe room started sweating when they played ‘Brain’, a loud, high-energy track from the new album. A highlight of the concert, the wobbling, distorted lead guitar encapsulated Mary’s Underground; imagine ‘Cortez the killer’ on an exploding planet.y track from the new album. A highlight of the concert, the wobbling, distorted lead guitar encapsulated Mary’s Underground; imagine ‘Cortez the killer’ on an exploding planet.
One of my favourite aspects of the MWL sound is the use of harmonica. It’s a prevalent feature in most songs, especially live. It adds a texture you didn’t know was there and mournfully slides between the major and minor. Combined with the dancing guitars it creates a four-course meal devoured by virgin ears.
Nearing the end of the show I forgot I was alone, entranced enough by brilliant performers and a crowd held in the headstock of a left-handed guitar. The show’s encore ended with ‘Cut Glass’, and with my ears still ringing I knew it was a show I’d remember for a long time.
The crowd forced their way out like water through a dam, spraying onto a corporate staircase by day, smokers’ area by night. Some stayed around and I witnessed at least ten people snap pics of their different pedal board set-ups.
That’s when you know the sound was good.
Looking back, I feel more inspired to go to shows alone, especially if you love the artist. I came away fulfilled and Mark William Lewis exceeded all expectations live.
If you’re reading this, buy that ticket and just go… You won’t regret it.
