The Gigraphy Review - Hot Mulligan, New Century Hall Manchester, 02/09/2023

When an act as iconic in their scene as Hot Mulligan are in town, how could we not send someone down to it? Well that's exactly what we did, getting Josh to the event to capture the action and get his thoughts on the performance!

Spanish Love Songs

Spanish Love Songs were the perfect opening act for Hot Mulligan, and there was clearly plenty of audience crossover between the two if the crowd reactions were anything to go by. Walking out to cheers and waving hands, all five members came together to deliver an amazing performance that had even those who hadn't listened to the outfit before tapping their feet.

From "Routine Pain" to "Brave Faces, Everyone", Spanish Love Songs delivered exactly what was needed from an opening act, not to mention one with enough stage presence and recognition that this could've been their own show.

By the end of their set the crowd was pumped with energy ready for the headline act, as well as certainly leaving with more fans than they came in with. It can't be long until we see them have a headline tour not far off this size of their own, which they fully deserve if last night was anything to go by.

Hot Mulligan

Now for the headline act - which Hot Mulligan were more than worthy being. Leading with "OG Bule Sky", crowd surfers were present from the get go; Spanish Love Song's opening set clearly worked. After the first couple of songs, the band immediately began addressing the crowd in a way that felt open and real, putting in a quick disclaimer that they would probably make some American jokes that would be lost on a British audience before getting everyone back on side with a chant of "fuck the tories". They clearly know their audience.

Despite insisting that his voice had gone, lead vocalist Nathan Sanville put on an incredible performance, nailing the harsher vocals in tracks such as "Feal Like Crab" with seemingly no issues at all. Guitarist and backing vocalist Chris Freeman may have been picking up some extra work where Nathan's voice needed some rest, but with the energy and quality of the show it was impossible to tell.

Barely a third of the way into the set and there was already plenty of people raised above the rest of the crowd on shoulders, and the front of the venue was a phalanx of dedicated fans who were clearly ecstatic to see Hot Mulligan on their first headline tour in the UK. This was only emphasised by the first circle pit of many occurring to the sounds of "The Soundtrack to Missing a Slam Dunk", with the pits making a reappearance every few songs to keep the crowd moving and the energy high. Even later in the night the movement didn't stop, with tracks like "Losing Days" and "John "The Rock Cena, Can You Smell What The Undertaker" clearly being crowd favourites.

It may have been a result of Nathan's vocal struggles, but the band took plenty of time throughout the night to talk to the fans in both comedic and meaningful ways that felt very genuine. It really felt like we were seeing a group of friends doing what they loved, talking about cucumber facts, Warhammer, and let's not forget the temperature of Nathan's balls. They even brought up their own struggles with mental health in a lighthearted manner, finishing the discussion with the words "we're not doing well either" being met with cheers of support from an audience full of people who have clearly been impacted by the bands music.

When it came to the encore, even those in the audience who hadn't been too involved with the performance changed their tune as the unmistakable intro to "BCKYRD" echoed through the venue. This was clearly the track many had been waiting for, and it did not disappoint. Hands were in the air, fans were singing and drinks were being tossed as the band closed out the show on a high, rounding off a night of nothing but stellar performances.

And what other act would have a whole venue chanting at someone to, and I quote, "piss your pants"? No one does it quite like these guys.