Michael Doherty's Music Log: The Mekons at Gold Diggers, 10-12-25 Concert Review

Mekons performing "Last Dance"

The weekend of Mekons concluded with an afternoon concert at Gold Diggers. Billed as "A Quiet Afternoon With The Mekons," the show featured the acoustic version of the band. That is, Jon Langford on guitar and vocals, Sally Timms on vocals and kazoo, Rico Bell on accordion and vocals, and Susie Honeyman on violin and vocals. Gold Diggers is a small, dark bar, the sort of place that invites all sorts of delightful mischief, but also has a relaxed, kind of surprisingly cheerful vibe. Jon and Sally had played a gig there in February, with Dave Trumfio (as Nervous Boy) opening. This time there was no opener. Instead, we were treated to two sets of Mekons, and were home before dark when the monsters come out.

"Abernant 1984/5"

I got there early, before doors opened, which meant I got to observe an assortment of weirdos and youthful malcontents strutting along Santa Monica Boulevard, tearing flyers from walls and seemingly unaware that they'd left the tags on their caps. I suppose it's good to know that Hollywood continues to be a bit odd. Would we want it any other way? A little after 2 p.m., the doors opened, and by 3 o'clock, the room was pretty full, a good Sunday afternoon crowd. At 3:04, the musicians made their way onto the stage. Sally thanked everyone for coming out, and Jon mentioned that this was the final show of their short tour, and explained why each of the missing Mekons couldn't be there (Dave Trumfio, for example, is at a wedding in Wisconsin). The room, including the stage, was still quite dark, until just as the band began its first number, the stage lights suddenly went on. Ah, the music brought the light! That first song was "Abernant 1984/5," from the beloved Fear And Whiskey album, released in 1985. The band leading us in a delicious waltz into oblivion. We are on the edge, aren't we? Jon told the audience that they liked to start with that song because it takes us back to a time when values and principles were under seige by the government. And here we are again.

"Slightly South Of The Border"

Toward the end of "Hole In The Ground," Jon requested help from the audience with the whistling part. That song also featured some great stuff on violin. After that song, Jon mentioned earlier Los Angeles Mekons concerts, like that July show at the Lodge Room, and Sally reached farther back, mentioning a show from 2016, asking if anyone in the room had been at that one. That actually had been my first Mekons show, and it was at a venue without air conditioning (perhaps the only building in Los Angeles without air conditioning). It was one hell of a hot night, and also probably the best night of that year. The band followed "Hole In The Ground" with "Last Weeks Of The War," after which Sally said they had a few surprises in store for us, including a cover of "War Pigs." One of the things I love about seeing this band in concert is the joyful joking and teasing they engage in between songs (and sometimes during songs), and yesterday's show was brimming with banter. Jon told a funny story about the beginning of the band, and how they were good friends with the Gang Of Four (last year I was fortunate enough to see the Mini-Mekons and Gang Of Four together at a show in Gloucester, Massachusetts, another incredible night of music). Sally then got out her kazoo for "Slightly South Of The Border." They sang "Small stupid children" this time, no reference to "chicken" as there had been the night before. The "Na na na na" part in this song always makes me laugh. And of course who doesn't love the kazoo? "Only four songs in, and already kazoo mayhem," Jon said.

"A Fearful Moment"

The band then switched gears with "A Fearful Moment," with Rico on lead vocals. A strangely gorgeous song with a more contemplative air. That was followed by a powerful, intense rendition of "Dickie, Chalkie And Nobby." "Don't go through this for nothing/Don't waste it all." There was a sense of urgency to that message. "Here's Sally Timms," Jon said afterward. "Here I am," Sally agreed. "Doing my big hit." That big hit was "Millionaire," certainly a crowd favorite. It featured a great vocal performance, and was a fun rendition, especially at the end when they encouraged the audience to sing along "with gusto." And everyone did. Jon then told a couple of jokes, before asking, "Is that enough filler?" The banter turned to the current state of this sad nation. "I love the Portland Frog," Sally said, and Jon mentioned how those ICE agents who tear-gassed that costumed guy should go to jail. Sally agreed, saying all of them should. I doubt there was anyone in the room who disagreed. When this madness is finally at an end (assuming it does come to an end), ICE needs to be utterly destroyed, and its agents tried for crimes against humanity. It's the only way for this country to move on with any bit of dignity and integrity.

"Hard To Be Human Again"

A fun version of "Last Dance" followed, and then Sally told the audience, "We do have luxury chickens for sale." Interestingly, there seemed to be more items for sale at the merchandise table at this show than at the previous two shows, and I picked up a few vinyl singles I hadn't seen displayed the other nights. A couple of people in the audience were celebrating birthdays, and so the Mekons sang "Happy Birthday To You" to Tom and to Peggy, before wrapping up the first set with a phenomenal version of "Hard To Be Human Again." That song came on with a fierce energy. In fact, there was so much power to this rendition that Jon broke a guitar string before even the first line was sung. Rico delivered some fantastic work on harmonica, and Sally was rocking the kazoo. Toward the end of the song, Jon again shouted out "Kazoo mayhem." And then: "Mouth piano mayhem, violin mayhem, broken guitar mayhem." The first set ended at 3:50 p.m., and Jon immediately set about replacing the guitar string.

"Sanctuary"

Twenty minutes later, the band returned to the stage. "All right, we're back," Sally said. And Jon told the crowd, "Here's Sally Timms' other greatest hit." And they played "Ghosts Of American Astronauts," from the band's So Good It Hurts album. This song featured another really nice vocal performance from Sally. Afterward Jon announced, "We can't go on a moment longer without Rico singing a Patsy Cline song." And Rico gave us a good rendition of "Sweet Dreams," not only featuring a strong vocal performance but a nice lead on accordion as well. That was followed by "Sanctuary," a song from the band's new album, Horror. This summer whenever Jon would mention the album's title, he would shout it. And he did that again last night, getting a little help from the venue's sound guy, who added an echo effect. Sally teased Susie in the introduction to the song, mentioning the favorable review Susie's vocal performance had received, and saying, "This has gone to her head." Well, the band delivered an excellent rendition night, and, yes, Susie's performance was beautiful. "Susie Honeyman!" Jon exclaimed afterward. "A star is born."

"Neglect"

"Neglect" was a whole lot of fun, especially the vocal section at the end, with everyone delivering various takes on the word "Please." Have I mentioned how funny these guys are? They kept the great fun going with "Shanty," with Jon urging the crowd, "Sing along." And that they did. This song got a huge reaction from the audience, leading Sally to comment, "A crowd pleaser." Before starting "Big Zombie," the band talked about how a zombie movie had been inspired by a Mekons song, though not this particular song. (It was "Dancing In The Head," if you're wondering.) Jon quipped about how inspiring someone doesn't pay well. "Big Zombie" was big fun, and after that, Sally teased Susie some more about her ego after that favorable review. "The next album will be just her singing and playing all the instruments." But it was Sally who then delivered a beautiful vocal performance on "Waltz," a song she introduced as being another obscure number. That was followed by a cover of "Before I Grow Too Old," which Jon introduced as "a desperate song, a desperate song." That led straight into "Keep On Hoppin'" to conclude the set. Yes, another fun number. The audience called out for an encore, and unlike the previous night, this time the band obliged. And actually, they ended up playing a couple of songs, beginning with "Fallen Leaves," a song from Horror (and yes, Jon shouted out that album title during the introduction). Rico gave us a moving and gorgeous rendition. Especially beautiful was the ending, delivered a cappella. The show concluded with "Wild & Blue," another crowd favorite, and one that got folks singing along. "We love playing Gold Diggers," Jon said afterward, joking "We'll be back Tuesday and Thursday of next week." I wish! The show ended at 4:56 p.m.

Set List

Set I