Mardigras Bombers – Five Songs About Sex And Death

Back in the mists of time when I hadn’t been writing for The Punk Site that long I encountered the Mardigras Bombers supporting the then bus passless TV Smith in a dark corner of Lancashire. They had a new album out and the future looked bright, but sadly this was a false dawn and they imploded shortly afterwards, but as you can probably guess, and if you’ve been around the punk scene for any length of time you will know, that you can’t keep a good band down unless they have left this mortal coil. Mardigras Bombers reformed not too long after and built a new line up round the core members who survived the crash and burn. Now expanded to a sextet they have released the Five More Songs About Sex & Death EP that is now available on limited edition CD and download via Bandcamp and can be streamed through, as they put it, “the usual thieves”.

After reaquainting myself with their 2016 debut, Come On In, the first thing that strikes you is that this release is a much slicker project, from album artwork to production everything about this feels more together and considered. The opener, A Lifetime Of Small Events, combines rock, punk and soul to powerful effect, everything about this track is over the top and the effect is almost overwhelming and epic, almost. Money Well Spent keeps the juggernaut in high gear, both lead vocals, original member Damon Gillett and Bianca Kinane Ewart, compliment each perfectly, quite literally the rough with the smooth, and are backed up with full blown backing from the bands four cylinder engine room.

First Thought Best Thought is an upbeat garage rocker that offers a danceable beat with the Hammond Organ firmly to the fore whilst Cleaners Clean takes us back into darker heavier territory, and offers yet another facet of a band that appear to be delivering what they always promised. Dragonfly brings us the final song about sex and death, this jaunty dark cabaret brings another unexpected element into an EP that defies categorisation and continually confounds your expectations. Five More Songs About Sex & Death feels like the kind of soulful, rebellious and provocative EP the Mardigras Bombers were always destined to release, it’s just taken them a while.