If you took heavy goth-metal, obscene hip-hop style lyrics, video game style electronics and “A.D.D. punk rock” (as their website calls it) and threw it into a blender, you’d have a nice serving of what Mindless Self Indulgence had to offer at Toad’s Place, Monday.
The style-fusing New York City based group, Mindless Self Indulgence, were quite a spectacle to lay eyes upon. Singer Little Jimmy Urine arrived on stage wearing a long black overcoat, with a tight, pink netted undershirt and matching pink belt holding up his sagging jeans. Alongside him were Kitty, on the drums; Steve, on the guitar; and Lyn Z. on the bass.
Before the band even began playing, the crowd’s energy was phenomenal. Screams of “MSI” were heard throughout the cozy venue, surprisingly, in fact, since the show was not sold out. The group came on stage, opening with “Fa**ot” from their “Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy” album. If you do not understand any word I am saying, you are not crazy. Nothing about this band makes any sense.
MSI thrive on being different. No, not different; insane is more like it. Jimmy’s stage presence was ferocious. He ran everywhere around, screaming at the crowd and never missing a single lyric. Midway through, he even took his pants off to sing a song wearing only his boxers and pink net shirt. He simply does not care about being obnoxious and in your face.
Kitty’s drumming helped supplement the catchy electronics and record scratching on tracks such as “B*tches” and “Straight to Video.” Also impressive was Lyn Z.’s bass strumming, also enhancing the almost awkward blend of styles. Jimmy remained his crazy self.
An older “Bring the Pain” was played via a boom box as the wannabe MC used his body to coincide with the lyrics, in a clear effort to salvage his voice from the hour and fifteen minutes of screaming he ensues each night. It remained the slowest part of the set, but entertaining nonetheless.
MSI ended with “I Hate Jimmy Page,” a fan-favorite. As the song was almost over, Lyn Z. climbed up to the top of Toad’s Place’s rafters, teasing the crowd by walking the slim beams from above. After a minute or two, she jumped down into the crowd, six-inch heeled boots and all.
MSI showed New Haven a great time delivering one of the most bizarre and aggressive shows of the year. They rocked, rapped and crushed their audience with killer heels all in a single night’s work.
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