FISTS PUMPED, FEET THUMPED AND VOICES LOST: GOODBYE MR MACKENZIE DESCEND ON LONDON’S 100 CLUB

LIVE REVIEW | GOODBYE MR MACKENZIE | LONDON 100 CLUB by Robert McAlaney

So, Goodbye Mr Mackenzie are back on the road in 2025! Scotland’s best kept secret formed in the mid 80’s and then disbanded in 96’ having never hit the commercial success they well and truly deserved. Luckily for us, they got it all back together in 2019 with the original lineup pretty much intact with Fin Wilson, the scary mad bastard on bass, the besuited and clean cut Derek Kelly on drums. Big John Duncan, arguably the greatest living rock guitarist in Scotland – with his talents being recognised by Cobain himself, earning Duncan a tour with Nirvana in the 90’s. Last but certainly not least Martin Metcalfe on vocals; the Bowiesque ringmaster keeping his circus of pirates in check. No Shirley Manson for this tour unfortunately as she is still busy being an international superstar with her band, Garbage.

Their debut album ‘Good Deeds and Dirty Rags’ is a somewhat forgotten classic, lost in the record bins of time. Every track hits you like a sledgehammer with Big John’s slashing guitar, the thumping bass and drums, beautiful female backing vocals paired with Metcalfe’s deep drawl. Like Leonard Cohen if he ever decided to rock. The album was mildly successful but it was all down to the Mackenzie’s outstanding live shows that brought critical acclaim. ‘The Rattler’ is a song that will appear on a top ten list of anyone who followed the Scottish music scene in the early 90’s and it is truly criminal that it never catapulted Goodbye Mr Mackenzie to the sort of fame they deserved. The song being banned by Radio 1 at the time being partly to blame.

We were lucky enough to catch the band at the 100 club on Friday, with “lucky” being an understatement. They donned the stage, engulfed with the hearty applause most performers only meet in their dreams. Metcalfe shook his maracas with a sinister joy for the rattles of divination, lulling the crowd closer, placing his palms to their cheeks, establishing trust, and just as he nestled his forehead onto ours – Big John flicked his guitar string, Metcalfe struck you in the stomach and screeched the opening lyrics of ‘Hard’, the audience immediately buckled themselves in, cursing at the Mackenzie’s to give it their all. ‘Lovechild’ followed and the audience transformed to apostles, screaming every lyric as if gospel on judgement day. I suppose that makes Goodbye Mr Mackenzie, Jesus.

The live rendition of ‘Yelloueze’ saw Metcalfe bouncing around the stage, flaunting a tambourine like a rattlesnake would its arse. Those present that fateful night were lucky enough to witness the band perform ‘Blacker Than Black’ – a song the Mackenzie’s typically refuse, I found out for myself the reason for its high demand; with this tune alone the band could wake you up from a coma, just to put you in a trance.

By this point your socks were well and truly blown off, but the self proclaimed Motley Crew from Scotland were after the flesh on your feet. As big John Duncan grabbed the microphone during the masterfully chaotic performance of ‘Niagara’, reminding the audience why he was up there and cemented himself as a punk rock behemoth. Then came the hit that never was, those familiar opening keys of ‘The Rattler’ played and Christ, did the place explode! It was the perfect ending to a raw, powerful and absolute beauty of a performance. Goodbye Mr Mackenzie concluded the night with nothing short of sporadic gay abundance. Fists were pumped, feet were thumped and voices were lost.

I urge each and every one of you to give Goodbye Mr Mackenzie the flowers they so rightfully deserve. Stream their limited discography or sift through bootlegs and lost tapes like a crazed archaeologist, I promise your search will be rewarded handsomely. Buy tickets to their next gig or do as little as give them a follow. For the love of God just go show them some love.