Music: Jeff Hemmings

Demob Happy – Brighton band that’s making waves

Grunge seems to be making a little comeback at the moment, and Brighton has one its own contenders in the form of Demob Happy, a powerhouse four-piece that made its way down from Newcastle a few years ago to set up camp here.
Already a big hit at this year’s Great Escape, their fearsome yet intricate and melodic stoner grunge rock has won them a sizeable fanbase already, and with their debut album ‘Dream Soda’ having just been released, they are now locked in trying to establish themselves. With influences from the likes of Nirvana, Queens of the Stone Age and even 10cc, their grooves are bouncy, and their stage manner infectious. You can’t help but like this band.
“It’s kind of a concept thing based around this can, this fictional soda,” says Matt Marcantonio, bassist, lyricist and lead singer. “It was a joke we came up with, because we are hilarious and we like making puns,” he says. “We were looking for a name for the album and it materialised in our heads that it was representative of a lot of the themes on the album, drawing it all together into this concept. Because I love 60s and 70s music, I like the idea of a concept album. I think it’s quite cool and due a renaissance; cheesy, concept albums,” he laughs.
For Matt, ‘Dream Soda’ “represents everything that’s over-sugared, force-fed and corporate-owned. To us it symbolises the current cultural onslaught that aims to stupefy a generation through mass media and insidious advertising. ‘Dream Soda’ is a parody of all the stupid s*** in the world, this drink that zaps you of your dreams.”
The Newcastle born and bred band made their way to Brighton about four years ago, sensing that there was a place that they could fit into more easily. “We left Newcastle because the music we were doing at the time, there wasn’t particularly a scene for us. Guitar music has had a bit of a renaissance since then but when we were there we were the only ones doing anything like that. The fact we could all come down and do a year at uni, and get loans and get settled and start the band… There wasn’t much of a conversation, we just did it.”
The Haunt, Thursday 11 December, 7pm, £6.50