Mick Mercer Books

04/06/2026

HEATHEN APOSTLES / THE VLADIATORS - No Peace split EP
A delightful surprise!

A delightful surprise!

04/06/2026

ON THIS DAY ... in 1981 - THE CARPETTES
30 photos and a mystery from the 'final' gig of The Carpettes at the Clarendon, June 1981 available to all for the next seven days at https://mickmercer.substack.com/p/on-this-day-in-1981-the-carpettes-aa1 - free to subscribe or choose 'no thanks/continue reading' and it lets you straight in.

02/06/2026

Absolute Green Arrow #1, Dog Tag #1, Co**se Knight #1, The Hab #1, Hank Howard Pizza Detective in A Slice Of Life #1
Some of the most talked about new titles around.
Reviews freely available to all for the next seven days at https://mickmercer.substack.com/p/absolute-green-arrow-1-dog-tag-1 - free to subscribe or select 'no thanks/continue reading' and it lets you straight in.

31/05/2026

THE RUMOURS / THE MELBIES – The Anchor, Wingham 30th May 2026

Rome, as we all know, wasn’t built in a day but if THE RUMOURS had been around back then they’d have had the place finished by teatime. Their energy is off the charts!

They start off pretty intense and work upwards from there, throwing shapes that haven’t been invented yet, coming over raw, rasping and captivating. You might be looking at these photos and wondering, ‘so are they like The Soap Girls?’ and the answer is no. Way more direct, far punchier. The lines between fast stripped down rock and punk with an earthy charm blur happily,

The beaming drummer plays barefoot with his feet of steel, the guitarist has the snippier deadpan humour, the bassist being the engaging whipper upper, and off they go on a relentless rollercoaster of a gig experience, which ends without encore as they build and build and then it’s gone.

There was one brilliant bit towards the end that I assume was a happy accident where the bassist accidentally manages to lift the microphone out of the stand, and it ends caught round one of the pegs on the guitar head, with her still trying to sing into it as it waves about. Yep, that sort of band, wonderfully controlled chaos, with surprises.

If there was any kind of drawback it would be that while they’re battering your head for an hour the songs on first experience, like with any band really, sounds quite similar, but it’s too enjoyable to complain about. Less awareness of any melody creating memorable choruses, more recognising keywords being chosen for effective shoutiness. The answer, of course, is to buy their CD, which I did. That’s the way to flesh out the variety at your leisure. Interesting to see a Runaways cover included, because there is an obvious comparison there, if we think of the songs Joan Jett fronted, which is when they were at their most potent.

I know people find it hard to get out at present, and costs keep rising but this was a real coup for the Anchor, getting a band that is so firmly on the rise your chance of seeing them in a small venue again is close to zero. It was only a tenner but there were maybe thirty of us there, so we get to cherish memories of a classic gig and if you could have gone but didn’t bother it’s your loss. The band took nothing for granted and worked that room for all they were worth, and everybody loved them for it. The Anchor doesn’t book ordinary bands.

To make matters even better we had THE MELBIES supporting. As Lynda was performing in Barham up the road and I had no idea when the gig would ends I told her on no account should she hurry, which gave me time to char in the bar afterwards, and there was a nice guy there (Mark?) who agreed with me that from the Folkestone and Dover end of things The Melbies and Zombie Killers are in a class of their own. Even in their unexpected trio form tonight The Melbies are a brilliantly entertaining and punishing experience. They are LOUD.

I’m sure I’ve implied there was something special about their human pinball of a guitarist before, well tonight I found out he’s West Ham fan, so there’s your explanation. Promoted to co-lead vocalist as one Melbie (what is a Melbie? Google seems to think it’s a plush toy?) was currently in the air returning from Las Vegas, he canters through the role, and the truth is they can all sing. He also boasts of his F1 pitstop style of string-changing.

There is much jollity at the news Arenal lost to PSG, and they deliver a sledgehammer version of new single ‘Barry’ in a short set that still includes the manky Cher song, and bristles with melodic spikes and a power core that seems unending.

In short, another classic gig!

111 photos from the gig are freely available to everyone for the next seven days at https://mickmercer.substack.com/p/the-rumours-the-melbies-the-anchor - free to subscribe or choose ‘no thanks / continue reading’ and it lets you straight in.

30/05/2026

SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND? is your delightful guide to exciting new releases (with links), so meet Michael J. Sheehy, The Melbies, SEVIT, Iamimperfect, The Quick And The Dead, Mortes, Receiving Flowers, Rev. Tom Frost, Desero 80. Libel, Hex City, Death By Love, Hex Formes + Kult Ov Static, Hollow Howl, Cistern, Lvcerate, IAMX, Lost Legion, Dear Omen, The Gall, Kiss The Blade (UK), Taste Lips, Balduvian Bears, Shanx FM, Mantarochen, Anton, Wailin Storms, Mourning Service, Entries, Theseeyesradiate, Stars And The Sea, Varsovie, The Spine, Tavern 79, Incirrina, Elvis De Sade, Lapsus, Peter Murphy, Maniki, The Hotel Complex, Quattracenta.
Click below, it's free to subscribe or choose 'no thanks/contiunue reading' and it lets you in.
https://mickmercer.substack.com/p/something-for-the-weekend-may-30th-403?r=1jucjk
If you were subscribed this week alone you would have received email notifications about photo galleries covering Monoland, Specimen, Suck Henry, Dune Buggy Attack, The Cramps, Carter USM and Alien S*x Fiend, along with a review of a local electronic gig and four sets of comic reviews. So please consider subscribing if you haven't already.

Michael J. Sheehy, The Melbies, SEVIT, Iamimperfect, Hollow Howl, The Gall, Taste Lips, Wailin Storms, Mourning Service, Entries, Theseeyesradiate, Stars And The Sea, Varsovie and much more ...

28/05/2026

If you're not subscribed to my substack - https://mickmercer.substack.com/ - the past week has delivered my usual column, the weird electronic gig review, a mega Catwatch, five sets of comic reviews and photo galleries of Sharkboy, Adam & The Ants, Monoland, Specimen, Suck Henry, Dune Buggy Attack and today we have The Cramps. It's free to subscribe.

28/05/2026

NECTAR #1 - #3 - is the hype justified?
One of this year's stellar independent successes. Let's have a look. Reviews available to all for the next seven days at https://mickmercer.substack.com/p/nectar-1-3-is-the-hype-justified - free to subscribe or click 'no thanks/continue reading' and it lets you straight in.

27/05/2026

ODIN #1, Pretty Hate Machine #1, Rafael Garcia: Henchman #1, Megalith #1, Destination Kill #1
Two great, two sh*te, one so-so. Take your pick. Reviews available to all for the next seven days at https://mickmercer.substack.com/p/odin-1-pretty-hate-machine-1-rafael - free to subscribe or click 'no thanks/continue reading' and it lets you straight in.

26/05/2026

Red Roots #1, Estuary: A Ghost Story #1, Babylon Cove #1, If Destruction Be Our Lot... #1, Excommunicated #1
You want spooky? I give you SPOOKY. Today we examine five of the best new creepy or unusual comics out there which seem to have caught the interest of online comic agitators. Reviews available to all for the next seven days at https://mickmercer.substack.com/p/red-roots-1-estuary-a-ghost-story - free to subscribe or click 'no thanks/continue reading' and it lets you straight in.

26/05/2026

Don't forget your weekly column - tons of great new releases to check out.

Gloria Mundi, All About Eve, Byronic S*x & Exile, Dead Anyway, The Depths, Diavol Strain, Witch Of The Vale, Dusk At Midnight, Reliquia, Mary's Garden, Materia Oscura, Theatre's Kiss, DCD etc etc