Gig review: MS MR at The Cockpit, Leeds 21/11/13

By Jack Kenny

The effortlessly cool Max Hershenow and Lizzy Plapinger seem to dwarf the smaller of The Cockpit’s main stages, as they saunter on in their matching leather jackets. Minutes before they walk on, the pair can be spotted side of stage, running around in a circle together, perhaps releasing some steam before the dark and brooding intensity of set opener Bones. It works. New addition to the ensemble, multi-instrumentalist David adds a rocky grittiness to the song with his electric guitar. It is a refreshing start to what subsequently returns to the comforting predictability of a MS MR gig: the unsurprising setlist; Lizzy’s trademark shoulder shaking when expected; Max stepping away from his keyboard right on cue for a salsa dance with his best friend… Well, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

The first half of the setlist is packed full of examples of MS MR doing what MS MR do best: big, ballsy tracks like No Trace, Fantasy and Think Of You suggest that Ms. Plaps wasn’t kidding when she said she wanted to get rowdy tonight. Full of energy, the pair barely have time to speak to the crowd as they storm through the strongest songs of their debut album, Secondhand Rapture. The band have their audience on their side, shouting back the lyrics and jumping about.

Which is where the second half of the gig falls flat. Their cover of Arctic Monkeys’ Do I Wanna Know? is underwhelming, never reaching its full potential. It almost feels lethargic and sluggish, remaining on the same level throughout without the slow-burning crescendos of the original. This Isn’t Control highlights Lizzy’s voice at its most pure and vulnerable, but the ballad feels out of place at this gig, which is why it is almost a relief when the pair cut the song short and go straight into fan favourite Dark Doo Wop. The energy returns in time for Ash Tree Lane which segues perfectly into their brilliant cover of Dance Yrself Clean by LCD Soundsystem.

Despite the slight lull halfway through, Max and Lizzy’s effervescent personalities allow the momentum to carry on throughout. Before closing with another fan favourite, Hurricane, Max jokes that they are not one of those bands that tease their audience with ‘the last song’ before a full encore of a whole other album, because they simply only have one album to play. The crowd leave on a high, all hoping for a second album in the near future so those fantasies of a ‘surprise’ encore can become a reality.

By Matthew Kent

When the UK Fall MS MR tour was announced, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to go to any dates because of commitments at university. So in order to be a good student, I told myself I wouldn’t miss any lectures, therefore the tour was completely off the cards. But here we are; it’s November (“Fall tour”? Don’t you mean “depths of winter” tour?) and I’ve been to two shows! This one was slightly less YOLO than my rather erratic decision to go to the Shepherd’s Bush Empire show after Lizzy’s emotional tweets, read all about that here.

It’s cold, it’s damp and I’m home (kind of)! After catching up with friends it was time for the MS MR gig. Flyte were supporting once again, I enjoyed their set a lot more this time and they were actually really good. The four part harmonies and almost identical wardrobe choices made the band look and sound the part. Playing tracks from their previously released live EP and three brand new songs there were some potential hits. My favourite was the set closer “Faithless”. Unfortunately, by the time I had got to the merch stand Flyte had already gone so I couldn’t by their EP so instead I spent a small fortune completing my MS MR t-shirt set. Their indie pop is refreshingly different especially when stripped back with an acoustic guitar on lead. Despite my reservations at the London gig they do match up as a great support band for MS MR and are up there with Thumpers and Freddie Dickson, who supported the New York duo on their summer tour.

So it was time for the main act, my beloved MS MR. I was pretty anxious during the first half of the show because for a change they didn’t actually know I was coming (I had somehow managed to keep this a secret). I knew all along that there was no way I could miss their show in Leeds after the three other times I’ve seen them there were so good and so special. Front and centre, stood directly in front of green haired vocalist Lizzy Plapinger at the small Cockpit 2 stage, this is what it’s all about! The set was amazing and my highlights were “Think of You” which Lizzy hopes will become an international hit to show her ex who’s boss and newly released “Dance Yrself Clean”, a cover of LCD Soundsystem, packs a huge punch when performed live and it’s a great one to (attempt to) lose your voice to. It was great to hear the fans singing back to all the songs, and not just “Hurricane”, their blog smash of yesteryear.

Max Hershenow’s (the MR to Plapinger’s MS) dancing is arguably the best part of every MS MR gig I have been to and this show was no exception! He also provides some great backing vocals, which I wish were louder on the studio recordings, because they add an extra layer to the tracks. Lizzy’s vocals had a definite rasp and rawness to them which made breakup anthem “Think of You” and potential future single “Head Is Not My Home” sound extra great. The chemistry between the pair onstage is perfect, it was like they were made to perform with each other. Shoutout to multi-instrumentalist David Lizmi, and friendly fountain/drummer Zach Nicita, oh and to the “faux fans” waiting outside the gig afterwards.

I had a great night and if you haven’t already go to iTunes (or a shop or another online music retailer), search for MS MR, and buy their album “Secondhand Rapture”. If you missed out on their tour and want some merch, they just launched their online store where you can buy some super cool t-shirts. I am looking forward to seeing them again, hopefully next year, which will be the 10th (I am so sorry) time I have seen them.