Live Review: ESG, Mei Saraswati, MmHmmm, Rok Riley & Ben Taaffe, Mama Cass and Pex

On a humid night, with one of the funkiest bands ever to occupy the same womb set to arrive, Pex got a good handle on the early evening vibe, mixing headspace manipulators such as Peaking Lights with frisky disco fist pumpers. Next, Mei Saraswati crooned over some skeletal R'n'B beats that were almost as classy as her blue tasselled earrings. Moments of self-consciousness were amplified by intermittent sound problems, but her compelling, limber vocals won over a neutral crowd. In keeping with the girl power nature of the night, Mama Cass spun a variety of female funk band jams, and was followed by the curiously named MmHmMm, who persevered gallantly despite a faulty laptop. They revealed some good compositional skills and attentive ears for tonal details, but their stage presence would be immeasurably boosted if they'd stop staring at their hands. Rok Riley & Ben Taaffe then ransacked their '80s funk and rare groove vinyl, as a livewire LeRoy Glover of ESG hopped onstage to provide an impromptu bass accompaniment. 

Revered as pioneers of the '80s death disco/punk-funk scene, ESG are testimony to how much can be achieved with only a few basic ingredients. Drummer Valerie Scroggins offered a masterclass in how to play with clean, almost machine-like precision whilst retaining that human touch, but even she was frequently upstaged by Glover, whose magnetic persona was only bettered by his extraordinary skill of maximising expression from the simplest of basslines, as exemplified on the entrancing Moody.

“Ah, cut it out,” I hear you say. “All you writers do is exaggerate and embellish.” So you might you think, but I have proof, namely that everybody was dancing. Ok, I can't vouch for the people right at the back, but everyone in my sweeping view was locked in rhythmic abandon. Even those who clearly couldn't dance were making a concerted effort.  As for the more agile members, serious concerns persisted that limbs might end up detached from their owners, particularly during the euphoric Dance; the finale to a memorably hot n' heavy performance.