MSI packs shocks into synthpop
Mindless Self Indulgence is cruising on a reputation for being a band willing to do whatever it takes to get a rise out of a live audience, even if that means taunting patrons who paid to see the show.
“If they’re not doing anything, hell yeah,” vocalist Jimmy Urine said of taunting audiences, in an interview with Shoutweb.com. “It’s for my enjoyment too, ya know? I wanna see something.”
Concert patrons certainly are getting an eyeful.
On-stage antics have ranged from strange to disturbing, easily out-shocking the big-name hard rockers the band has opened for, such as Insane Clown Posse, Korn and Rammstein. There was even a rumor that Urine was arrested after he attempted to light himself on fire, which turns out to be a half-truth.
Urine told Shoutweb.com that he was arrested for exposing himself, though he said he tried lighting himself on fire at another show.
Oh, yeah, the band also dabbles in music. The guys perform for Spokane audiences Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at the Big Easy Concert House, supporting their latest release “You’ll Rebel to Anything.” Tickets to the all-ages show are available for $12.50 through TicketsWest, www.ticketswest.com or (800) 325-SEAT.
Hailing from the New York City area, Mindless Self Indulgence – Urine, drummer Kitty, bassist Lyn Z and guitarist Steve Righ – has been making albums since the late ‘90s. The Cleveland Scene calls the music “hyperactive disco beats and quivering upper-octave vocals … its solid synthpop melodies should snare people who dig The Killers’ music …”
Mindless Self Indulgence’s 1999 debut, “Tight,” features 14 two- minute benders, which seems like an EP compared to the band’s 30-track sophomore effort, “Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy.” The album includes the track “I Hate Jimmy Page,” a not-so-subtle shot at the undisputed king of riff-rock. “The basic gist is that I’m getting really sick of people just goin’ on and on about classic musicians, and Clapton is God, and Led Zeppelin … Do something different and entertain me,” Urine told Shoutweb.com. “Who cares if you can hit an e-minor 7th chord. Make me wanna see you for a reason.”