Massive Wagons - The Fisher Price of Rock 'n' Roll

Massive Wagons **** are from Carnforth in Lancaster and are band that has been going round the music scene for quite a few years now, they have been making waves all around Europe with their live shows.The band have simplistic melodies and content, paying homage to the past and legendary bands like AC/DC, Cheap Trick, Status Quo, UFO, Rainbow and Slade to name a few. The band is led a little by the fact their vocalist Barry "Baz" Mills who is so charamatic that he oozes enthusiasmm and a really desire to impress. He really commands the stage, and over shadows everyone else in the band. 

Massive Wagons really are a sing-a-long European festival party band, that have been taking the UK and European charts by storm... apparently they are at No.6 in the UK chart as I an writing this ar the back at their show. I really don't think singer Baz, stopped moving for a second during the set... he must have got really knackered. Bass player Adam "Bowzer" Bouskill stands at the back next to the drummer Alex Thistlethwaite keeping steady time, but I think they do get distracted at times... because they do go out. You will ask why I am at the back of the room doing the review, and that is because that is where I can hear the vocals and music the best. Closer up you can hear the mistakes a lot more, which their are a few. And I don't think it's fair to judge Massive Wagons on this, because they are not about that... they are about having a good time. And I can also see everyone from this position, jumping around and enjoying the band.

I can see why people like Massive Wagons,  they are a fun band... with a European attitude to Rock and Blues. They are a good touring band, that are worth seeing if you can get over the musicianship not being the best. I saw them recently at the Graspop festival in Belgium on the Metal Dome stage and they had the crowd in the palm of their hand... and everyone was having a beer and enjoying themselves. Yes! I think Massive Wagons are a drinking band, have a beer and sing-a-long with the songs with a friend. I don't really drink, so I think some of their appeal is totally lost on me.

So you are not really going to see me going on about them, or paying to go see them live. But I really can see why people would want to, and that's why quite a lot of the venue have come to see them tonight. Their is nice outing for the last single 'Skateboard', which everyone in the venue seems to know. And 'Triggered' and 'F**k the Haters' have a slightly heavier hard hitting edge to them. While I quite enjoy that at times they embrace American Ska on some tracks, to get the rhythm to some of their songs more anthemtastic.

I think they must be fans of bands such as Real big Fish and Less than Jake, or maybe even Rancid or Yellowcard. The band might be cheap as chips, but people like them... and sometimes we need to have a laugh and a little sillyness in a World that at the moment is so full of problems. With songs like 'A.S.S.H.O.L.E.' and 'Fe-Fi-Foe-Fum', they really embrace that. Ok they are not going to win the Mercury Music Prize or maybe a Grammy for lyrical content for these songs (but neither will Steel Panther for some of their songs), which are almost like they stole them off a Fisher Price toy box. But they make people happy, and that is a really good thing.

 

Review and Photos by Dan Devour

 

Massive Wagons - Setlist
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Pressure
Triggered
Bangin in your Stereo
Back to the Stack
A.S.S.H.O.L.E.
Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum
Germ
F**k the Haters
China Plates
Please stay Calm
Skateboard
Generation Prime
Ratio
Nails
In it Together