The Maybes?
Live Review: The Maybes?
93 Feet East, London
Wednesday, May 7th 2008
by Lex Lennon
Strolling through London's vibrant Brick Lane on a summer's evening, it was hard to imagine why anyone would want to be cooped up in an insalubrious music venue for the night. Fortunately, a score of hardy gig-goers had resisted the temptation of the East End-turned-Algarve's numerous pavement bars and the handful of girls in the middle of 93 Feet East's cavernous room made enough noise for 500 screaming groupies.
Liverpudlian band The Maybes? release their debut album Promise this September through Xtra Mile Recordings. We haven't heard much of the singles that have been released so far, but they wouldn't sound out of place on XFM or similar.
Their sound is full - not surprising considering they have 3 guitarists - and seems to melt into one big wall of sound. Despite the resulting lack of clarity the power is impressive and the drive from the bass and drums is compelling.
Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Nick Ellis has something of the John Lennon about him with his mop-top 'hair-don't' and raw, energetic presence on stage. His vocals are spot-on, and are accompanied by occasional well-placed harmonies from the others.
Excuse the second Liverpool reference when I compare the band's sound to Cast, but their jangly guitars and vocals are very much reminiscent of early hits Finetime and Alright. John Power's lads had their heyday in the mid 1990s, and I can't help thinking that perhaps The Maybes? should have existed then instead of now. Trouble is, they would have all been about seven years old.
The Maybes? aren't going to break any boundaries just yet but what they are doing is good old-fashioned rock'n'roll, and no-one can complain about that. A couple of the songs are stand-out - Boys and Summertime - true Merseybeat Britpop numbers that leave me wanting more of the same.
Bassist Nick Otaegui holds the neck of his guitar high and stares at it intensely like he's about to take a bite from it. His basslines are varied, and always fitting. Drummer Dominic Allen provides a strong backing to the other four. He uses a lot of the rather ubiquitous disco beat that has been all too common over the past few years, but he's both tight and powerful.
Expecting their last track to be a riotous 3-minute belter of a pop song I was sadly disappointed. They ended with a 10-minute instrumental that was self-indulgent at best, completely misjudged at worst. This monstrously epic finale would have been more at home in the Ministry of Sound than in front of the static audience of an indie club.
The swagger and attitude that Ellis displays on stage, however, makes up for faults elsewhere. 'Thanks for coming to Brichhh Lane,' he almost spits at the audience. He darts around the stage between songs and makes us all feel we should be listening to his band and his music.
I look forward to watching how The Maybes? develop. The first album should be a decent platform to go on to cleverer things on the second. They are capable of being great songsmiths, but need to carve a sound out that is both their own and that can capture the ears of the masses in 2010 rather than those of 15 years ago.
For more information about The Maybes?, inclusing any forthcoming UK tour dates, see their page here on Ents24.
