Last month the Paphos music scene welcomed a new live band, who have decided to call themselves Les Alzheimer’s. They’re in good company, alongside bands named The Elderly Brothers, The Insulin Brothers, Old Play, Mid-life Crisis, and Los Viejos – which translates as ‘The Old Boys’. There would appear to be heavy competition for the title of Oldest Swinger In Town. I caught up with the longest-lasting, if not the oldest, band: Mid-life Crisis, as founder member and bassist Donald retired from the band this month after fifteen years.
MLC started as a social gathering of around seven guys with various instruments and levels of capability and, I quote, ridiculous quantities of alcohol. They’d get together weekly to make lots of unholy noise, but occasionally, a song would break out. Fast forward through playing car parks and private houses, gathering experience and proper equipment on the way, and the stronger elements of the group became band-shaped and found that, far from their folk /easy listening beginnings, their happy place is playing rock music.
Five singers, five drummers, three guitarists and now two bass players later, the band are now one of the best known and most loved on the circuit. Lead guitarist Simon is now the only remaining founder member and tells tales of rock’n’roll moments including his guitar amp catching fire mid-song and a big heavy speaker falling on him mid-another-song. Fun and banter are a large part of the appeal, and one of their biggest laughs was when, unbeknown to singer-tambourine player Eric, the rest of the band conspired to stick all the (again, quote!) wee cymbal thingies on Eckie’s tambourine together. His thigh must have been severely bruised after he had battered the doctored tambourine against it, producing no sound at all. There was also an incident swapping another singer’s used chewing gum for a drummer’s used ear plugs, but that’s best not dwelled upon…
All band members tell me that Donald will be missed for his ‘quality control’ and for being the patriarch of the group. New bass player Greg will have some tough boots to fill. And what will Donald miss? “Without a doubt I’ll miss the bit of each gig that happens between starting to play and stopping at the end, but the loading in and out in 40 degrees, the getting home at silly o’clock in the morning, having to listen to drummer Chas’s dad jokes…..none of those will be missed”.
Chas, originally a cornet player, joined the band on drums around nine years ago and is the only band member not given a microphone for good reason. He claims his jokes keep the band alert, but so far they’ve not risked inflicting them on the audience.
Paul, who has been with the band around twelve years, had mostly played bass in bands before and enjoys the change as a rhythm guitarist. Regular fans will know him as the one who jumps up and down when he gets excited (I can reveal that his legs complain bitterly the next day!). He enjoys playing songs that he would choose to listen to – and described the work that has gone into the current band playlist – each musician fights tooth and nail to get their favourite songs in, each believing passionately in the music they like, and the set has been honed over the years. Some songs will never come back: Eric made Ten Pole Tudor’s ‘Swords of a Thousand Men’ his own, standing on the bar waving a toy sword above his head – indeed on his final night before retirement, half the audience turned up with swords and waved them in his honour.
About to lose her ‘Newbie’ crown to Greg is lead singer Sharron who’s been with the band for a year, having retired to Cyprus planning to relax, but coming across the band just as previous singer Julie was leaving to run a Spanish vineyard (as you do). She says MLC is the best thing that could have happened to her in Cyprus and it’s brought back her passion for rock. So much for a peaceful retirement.
New recruit Greg had played in bands all his life until he moved to Cyprus in 2014 and was forced to go solo with backing tracks until briefly joining the Copycats, and more recently MLC, attracted by the fact that, he says, they are well rehearsed, play popular Rock/Pop music, have a great following and a professionally engineered sound system. Let’s see whether he lasts as long as Donald, and whether Simon can manage another fifteen years!
There is peace to be found in our fair land of course, but those seeking rock music have a good choice of experienced live bands playing various venues throughout the year. See below for MLC’s forthcoming gigs; the same venues regularly host other bands too. Keep on rocking!
Mid-life Crisis are playing at :
Monara, TOK Road Kato Pafos Saturday 4th October
Searays, Sea Caves area, Saturday 11th October 2 – 5pm
O’Neill’s, TOK Kato Paphos Saturday 18th October
Coral Star, Peiga for PAWS Dog Shelter Friday 31st October event starts 7pm €25 inc meal 99964226
www.mlccyprus.com
Jezebel hosts a Fun Quiz at the Cliff Bar, Tala, every Monday 7.30pm www.groovejetmedia.com