For their 35th anniversary, Monster Magnet took their show to the capital. As the weather turned into the crisp Autumn night, the band brought their beloved heat to the stage. With the on-the-rise band Margarita Witch Cult supporting, the entire evening was an endless pit of hard-rocking, song-cheering revelry.
Monster Magnet – Margarita Witch Cult
O2 Kentish Town Forum – 25 September 2024
Words: Monty Sewell
Photography: Robert Sutton
Monster Magnet
Monster Magnet have been one of the bands I had never seen but desperately wanted to. Upon announcing their return to the UK, I was ecstatic to finally get down and dirty to their unique blend of ethereal stoner rock and all-out, knuckle-dusting music. They did not disappoint.
Dave Wyndorf led the pack as usual, with a guitar to hand and the band’s programming keys to his right. Despite health issues, Wyndorf was absolutely brilliant, giving us on-point renditions of every number without losing an inch of passionate repertoire.
Dopes to Infinity kicked the night off. The title track of their 1995 album caused a stir from the get-go. It was a genius move from the guys opening the night with this track. The bustling audience immediately edged forward, horns to the sky and beers held high. Not having been to the UK in a while, Monster Magnet cast this indulgent mentality over the Forum, which said, ‘lap up every moment with all your might’. It was certainly felt.
Big-up energiser Tractor came before Superjudge and Look To Your Orb For The Warning. Though their latest material does hit well, Monster Magnet knew what to give their fans as they kept the highlights from their cracking thirty-five-year span coming. Let the music do the talking, as they say.
Negasonic Teenage Warhead – as a fan favourite – caused a ruckus in the pit as that undeniably notorious riff thwacked through the venue. It isn’t often you get an overwhelming feeling of nostalgic greatness pass through you. But that certainly did it.
Zodiac and Lung were equally great in their spaced-out auras. Though Wyndorf is seated, he is fully animated, using every part of his lyrical mastery to emphasise each integral meaning of the words written throughout the years. Monster Magnet has always been held in such high esteem in their writing, and tonight gave them such an all-encompassing moment to pour into every inch of it.
Twin Earth thumped its way out from the band with a monumental crunch. Ego, The Living Planet swayed us right into quintessential Monster Magnet territory. That same trippy energy that made us fall in love with the band in the first place was brought to the stage with amps of dynamism.
The band finished with Bummer before we got a sweet – and very much anticipated – encore of Space Lord. Hearing thousands of people scream that chorus with the full force of a Heavy Metal rhinoceros was monumental. It is a moment I will not forget for a long, long time.
Monster Magnet pulled out the big guns in a big way. I think I speak for many when I say it was a bloody delight having them over this side of the world, and we would love to have them back.
Margarita Witch Cult
This band does not mess around. Having only heard of them through the grapevine of nothing-but-good-words-to-say, I was very eager to see them in action and headed straight for that open-door time.
From the moment they walked on the stage, Margarita Witch Cult lived up to their reputation. Hard-slamming rock with hints of stoner sludge, along with some weird and wonderful thrash elements. Everything about their performance went straight to the bone, with professionalism usually only seen in the arena and beyond circuits.
Most of their performance material came from their self-titled debut 2023 album. Aradia, Lord Of The Flies, Annihilation and more were brilliantly cast onto the stage with a thump, a fire and a spine-tingling kick.
The big surprise of their set was a cover of Billy Idol’s White Wedding. It was honestly the best version of a big song I have heard in a long time. It was completely awe-enticing and sludge-like, with the chorus being beefed up with some hefty bass work.
Their last song, Sacrifice, I thought was one of the best. An insatiable, anthemic howl of a chorus, it really hones in on its little with huge screams and the feeling of anticipatory awakening within.
If you get the chance to head to a Margarita Witch Cult show, then you simply must. But before you do, give yourself a treat and have a good listen to their album.
