I walk into the Green Door Store in Brighton unsure of what to expect from tonight’s show. Brighton’s hipster elite have all donned their glad rags and gathered to celebrate the launch of King Mob magazine. The Facebook page describes King Mob as “dedicated to giving a platform to creatives in the UK and celebrating the underground talent we encounter day to day”. Having a peek online, the magazine has the feel of a Zine, it celebrates the DIY scene, its ethic and has bags of personality along with a very home-made feel.

Feeling somewhat underdressed among the throng of beautiful ones, I retreat to the nearest wall hiding my shame behind a can of Tuborg. The first band WUUAD are setting up in the next room and there’s an awkward moment by the bar while the crowd try to figure out if it’s a sound-check or they’ve begun their set. The mystery is solved when the crowd bleed into the room with the stage to find the band starting up.

WUUAD start with a barrage of dreamy indie rock; guitars laced with delay and the vocals intimate and sparse. The room is packed by the end of the first song and considering it’s a Sunday night everyone’s treating it like their Friday. They have about 20 minutes, taking breaks to announce songs but with little time to waste there’s no nonsense between. Each song sounds considered and well put together, it’s the sound of a band experimenting and finding their feet. Not the most refined band but it doesn’t need to be, this is a celebration of the DIY and the underground. Capturing artists at these crucial moments and supporting them is what tonight’s all about: being there at the start of the story not jumping on the train in the middle or the end.

As WUUAD set down the crowd flows back to the bar. I take a look at the King Mob merch stand. There’s the first issue up for grabs along with tote bags and stickers. It’s clear a lot of work and effort has gone into the magazine as well as the night. They’ve considered everything and even brought cake! I’m suddenly washed with regret that I’ve spend my change on cheap lager.

Red Deer People are up next, and someone’s decided to be the shepherd of the show: announcing loudly to the bar and smoking area that the next band are about to start. As I secure a position closer to the front the band have already started their first song. There’s a lot more bite to them and they give off an energetic-bordering-on-aggressive vibe compared to WUUAD. The room isn’t as full now, which is a real shame, as the band are tearing it up on stage. They’re fierce and loud; more developed with each song sounding as though it’s at its bare bones. They go through their set with explosive energy laying down thick riffs and harsh vocals which make for a powerful performance.

Fragile Creatures follow. They’ve been a Brighton name for some time now and are the most developed of the bands on tonight, giving a clean tight set. Tonight they’re showcasing new material and it all goes down well. They break from this to go back to some older songs from their 2016 debut …And Other Wild Things. They sound harsher than they do on the album; grittier, which makes them sound punchier. It’s a change of pace from the previous bands, offering catchy indie pop sounds with great riffs, the band are incredibly tight and know how to deliver a great live show.

Headliners grasshopper come on to huge cries from the now packed room. They tear into their energetic set with so much intensity it’s almost teetering on destruction. Every song is met with huge cheers and they launch into one song after the next. There’s a post-punk influence going on which works perfectly in their hands, there’s all the fire and delivery and they pull it off very well. After their final song the crowd won’t let them go and they give an off the cuff encore before leaving. They’re a band that know how to get a crowd going and definitely one to keep an eye on, if this is how they play I’m sure I’ll see them again soon.

All things considered, tonight has shown the hard work and clever thinking of the people behind King Mob. The bands on the bill have all provided different angles to what the magazine is about: WUUAD demonstrating the intimate experimental side, Red Deer People showing a fiercer DIY sound with a punk mentality. You’ve got Fragile Creatures who seem possibly out of place on the bill, however considering this celebrated the local yet established side of the magazine, it’s good not to ignore artists who are already on their journey. Ending with grasshopper, who play art school rock, gave an introspective high energy side to things. Perhaps that’s reading all too much into nothing however I can’t escape the feeling that King Mob will be the start of something pretty damn good. Judge for yourself and pick up a copy at Resident Brighton, or take a look at the online version below.
Christian Middleton

Facebook: facebook.com/kingmobmagazine
Twitter: twitter.com/kingmobcn
Website: kingmob.co.uk