“Megaphonic vocals, monolithic drums, Black Mekon are the best masked rock’n’roll band in the world. Testify!” these are the words I used about Black Mekon when I reviewed their album NEAT! for Joyzine in October (read it here).
‘One By One’ is their new single and one of the many tracks on the album that shows just how good they are creating catnip riffs that you’ll be humming all day. Now the riffs and quiffs have come alive thanks to the accompanying video which is a masterclass for how you don’t need a big budget to put together a witty and entertaining watch. It’s made for the band by Mr Radar who has created a joyful cut up collage of lobsters, bugs and Black Mekons jiving, leaping and jamming in a cardboard world.
I beamed a message via shortwave radio to the depths of Black Mekon HQ to ask who Mr Radar was, and how they came to work together on their cut-up collaboration. The ‘Mekons beamed this message back:
“Mr Radar is like our shoemaker’s elf, he just randomly appears with a piece of art he’s put together to fit one of our songs. He is made out of old 1980s tube cameras and curly cables, all held together with cellotape that’s been peeled off old family photos.
He works as analog as he can and almost always 4:3. He made this video for us years ago for the original version of One By One, a song that you can sing as you’re sitting in the trenches reloading your water pistol and preparing to go over the top for one last charge.”
I thought I could not love the ‘Mekons anymore than I already do but this video is now looping on a cathode ray TV in the middle of the Black Mekon shrine I have set up in the basement.
The Black Mekons are holding a Christmas Special on Thursday 21st December at the Hare & Hounds in Birmingham. Tickets here.
The album NEAT! is out on the PNKSLM label and available through their Bandcamp page and all good streamers.
Black Mekon socials: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
Review by Paul F Cook
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