LIVE REVIEW: MAN ON MAN, Arch Femmesis, Pink Suits, Downstairs at The Dome, London, 18/11/2023
Though it may be a cold November evening in North London, the newly renamed Downstairs at The Dome (formerly known as the Boston Music Room) was a place filled with warmth and love for your fellow man, woman or gender non-conforming individual. The night began with a fun, spiky set from Pink Suits, a non-binary punk duo from Margate. As someone who is themselves from the economically challenging East Kent coast, it’s very gratifying to see an act from there sharing a bill with a bona fide legend, and they do not disappoint. Full of queer rage and plenty of joy, the band handle playing to an older crowd very well, skilfully adjusting the stage patter to reach the audience. There was even time for a delightfully “you suffer” moment calling out the nonsense that is trickle down economics that raised a big, dentist approved smile from this Napalm Death fan. 7/10
Arch Femmesis were a complete delight from start to finish, much like the feeling when you discover a new flavour of ice cream that tickles the tastebuds. Effortlessly bringing the crowd along with their deliciously thumping electro attack. Androginyista got the floor moving like it was happy hour at the local gay bar, and the (should be) hits kept coming, as the group made a lot of new friends this night. The absolute highlight of this set was Rejectile Dysfunction, a delightful romp about the inadequacy of straight men. They were also getting a lot of love from people coming up to them at the merch table. 8/10
Both sets were watched by Joey Holman and Roddy Bottum, exuding the wholesome and loving energy of proud fathers supporting their talented children as they take their steps through the world. Almost like a chosen family, if you will.
MAN ON MAN came on to a rapturous reception, and immediately launched into both a passionate kiss and complete banger Take It From Me, a song about the commodification and sanitising of queer culture as much as about a chap with an impressive bulge. The set mostly leant on the guitar led material across both the self titled debut and 2023’s absolutely magnificent Provincetown. Throughout there were moments of tenderness between Bottum and Holman, underlying the love on display through this project. The beautiful fuzz of Stohner and the gorgeous harmony on the chorus had people slow dancing with their partners like it was closing time, and Holman’s guitar tone was magnificently fuzzy and cutting throughout. Echoes of Bottum’s previous work in both Imperial Teen and Faith No More actually come across more in the live environment.
The other thing that comes across is that this whole show was like a kaleidoscope of the varying shades of what queer identities are in 2023. It’s not conforming to gender and also not even conforming to mainstream ideas of queerness. Holman made a short but thought provoking speech addressing how there doesn’t appear to be a current place for queerness that isn’t related to things like drag acts, and it resonated with the audience, who this reviewer would be pretty confident in saying was almost entirely queer, with many representatives of the bear community present. The strident politics of Pink Suits and the dark club aesthetic of Arch Femmesis mixed with the romance and pure love of MAN ON MAN was a beautiful melting pot, and the results lead to a fun, well paced evening of music, dancing and warmth. Which is obviously appreciated on a November evening in Britain.
The absolute highlight of the evening was the magnificent Hush, the closing track of Provincetown. Replicating the guest spot from Dinosaur Jr. frontman J Mascis, Holman’s guitar sounded like it was floating and soaring above a sad grey sky. The tenderness was once again on display here.
MAN ON MAN fully believe in these songs, and made a point about how this is something that they have had to deal with, the idea that this wasn’t anything more than a bit. When your songs are this good, with great melodies, big guitars and real emotional depth, you should believe them. See them next time they come back to the UK, and not just because “its Roddy from Faith No More”. This band and project has its own wonderful meaning all to itself. 9/10
Written By: Louis Tsangarides
