Alistair Houghton gets all ruff ruff.
“I know this is a church, but it’s not a funeral,” bellowed rapper Lowkey – no dissent from this dancing crowd as the hip-hop/indie supergroup pumped out their rebel sounds at Alma da Cuba.
The church-turned-trendy bar may not have been the obvious choice for Mongrel, but it didn’t stop them getting this crowd in the palm of their collecive hands.
When you first heard about this motley crew of Jon McClure from Reverend and the Makers and various Arctic Monkeys and Libertines, you’d have been forgiven for expecting a straightforward guitar mashup. But far from it.
Lowkey was the star here, with his machine gun raps on songs like The Menace and solo showcase where he thtilled the crowd by freestyling the letters of the alphabet- even Z, with zebras and Zappa.
McClure may be prone to dancing and shadow boxing like your dad, but his passion for this new band burns through. More than just an indie side project but a British hip-hop force in their own right, Mongrel were an eclectically great end to a great Sound City first day.
Mongrel: The Menace
