Demob Happy (Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom)
November 15th, 2023
Turf Club in Minneapolis, MN
Short and sweet, Demob Happy are good. Real good.
A rock band from the UK, I went into this show as close to blind as I’ve been in a long while. It had been a bit since my last show so I listened to a song or two (that I really liked) to gauge interest after being invited out. Color me intrigued and convinced to go out to the Turf Club. A venue I hadn’t covered a show at in such a long time.
As far as comparisons go, my mind always goes to Royal Blood first. A very drum-and-bass heavy and centric sounding rock group with a focus on rhythm, groove, and fat riffs. Dead Poets Society and Nothing But Thieves are also bands that pop up as similar sounding. I have a soft spot for these types of bands because I love a good riff, and the bassist in me is always thrilled to hear other bassists do their thing.
The band live was a wonderful thing to watch. Their infectious and fun riffs and demeanor on stage kept the crowd entranced and dancing all night. Each song sounded better than the last. I even learned a little bit actually. I learned that the Demob stands for Demobilization. Thanks for scratching that itch, I had wondered what Demob meant.
I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if Demob Happy’s trajectory ends up like Nothing But Thieves. I remember seeing them for the first time in this very venue to a small crowd about seven years ago. I can absolutely see Demob Happy playing packed venues like First Avenue in the future. Very excited to see where they go.
