Mad Capsule Markets

I’m giving this band a great review. The 60 minute techno-punk-metal-hardcore-grindcore-firedup-fuckedup-grating-adrenaline-fuelled-machine-gun-shooting-Japanese industrial set deserves no less than a write up of the utmost respect. Breakneck beats and basslines that I’m pretty sure could destroy the transport infrastructure of a small town pound from the stacks and stacks of amps and speakers frothing from the Academy 2’s stage tonight.

Half the music comes from a backing track of course; I guess that innocent looking Japanese drummer can’t cope hammering it all and that huge whirring dirge of techno keyboard punk certainly isn’t coming from the slick fingers of the bassist-cum-synth man on stage right. But no, this isn’t Justin Timberlake. These recorded beats aren’t there to cover up crap pop. Mad Capsule Markets juxtapose recorded music with live performance similar to Atari Teenage Riot, creating the an equal amount of madness and on-stage/in-pit devastation.

There is so much energy here and the best thing is the crowd responds to all of it. A 200ft wave of dancing surging movement floods all the way to the back of the MA2 tonight. Unable to speak English MCM read a few phrases here and there from a soggy, tattered old piece of paper. To be honest it’s hard to make out what he says, apart from the odd “We love Manchester” and “Fucking Rock!” that the crowd love to respond to. Despite this language disability however, no one is left untouched by these four amazing musicians. So I guess it’s true; music really can transcend cultures. ‘A Japanese rock band’. Why does that sound funny? The truth is, who gives a damn who’s playing, as long as it bloody rocks?