By Addison Farris
A night of punk, power, and passion: Mannequin pussy live at the bellwether
October 17, 2024
Located in downtown L.A., The Bellwether has quickly become a safe haven for up-and-coming indie darlings to play, recently housing artists such as Wednesday, Yo La Tengo, Alice Phoebe Lou, and now Mannequin Pussy.
When the band hit the stage, the room immediately lit up, and they wasted no time getting into their first song, “I Don’t Know You,” the band’s most lightweight, and soft song on the album.
Since this track offers a slow rise for all of the instruments involved, it felt like the perfect opener for them, allowing the band to dip their toes into what the show was going to be.
The crowd immediately dove into the sound and sang along with ease, ready for the dancing and screaming that was soon to come.
The first three songs of the set felt stacked, starting the night with “I Don’t Know You,” “Sometimes,” and “Nothing Like,” all of which are fan favorites from their most recent album, “I Got Heaven.”
During the song, “Sometimes,” Missy begins to make the stage her own by moving ferociously from stage left to stage right, and she could be found dancing and screaming into fans’ faces, setting the tone for what the rest of the night would be.
To give both the band and the crowd their final breather before they would be head-banging and moshing, MP ended their three-song power pack with “Nothing Like”, a track that sounds like it could be a distant relative of something created by Bar Italia.
Backed with harmonies from the audience and loaded drum beats, Missy moved around the stage enchantingly, creating an atmosphere that felt magical.
Throughout the rest of the show, the band played songs mixed from both their new and previous projects, satisfying fans from every Mannequin Pussy era.
The crowd could be seen singing every word and nodding their head to every beat, not to mention pushing each other around and climbing on stage to jump into the arms of the people around them, crowd surfing their way back to the side stage, just to jump again.
The atmosphere in the room was incredible, everyone had great concert etiquette and a true sense of love for both the music and the people around them, creating a “safe space”, where everyone just understood each other, a feeling that can oftentimes be lost amongst a crowd.
The true stand out from the show was Missy’s undeniable stage presence. She took control of the crowd in a way that is rare to see. From the second she stepped on stage, she had everyone wrapped around her finger, and she knew it.
Using her powers for good, she ushered the audience into a group scream, encouraging the audience to “let it all out.”
After a grunting 3,2,1… the crowd let out a harmonious roar, leading the band into their title track, “I Got Heaven,” and in this moment a sense of release was felt from the crowd, an overall moment of exaltation and connection.
When moving into their more politically charged songs, Missy took the opportunity to remind the crowd about Mannequin Pussy’s overall message, speaking out for women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and various political issues across the world.
After the songs ended Missy took back the mic and made a call to all the men in the audience, having them scream the phrase “pussy” as loud as they could, as a way to desexualize the word. Making them repeat it multiple times, until it no longer withholds the negative connotation.
The show ended on an absolute high with their cult classic, “Romantic,” and as soon as the song began the crowd erupted into cheers and head bangs, releasing their last bit of energy before their set would come to a close.
Once the band had left and the house lights came on, not a single person left the pit since the DJ was quick to play Cher’s “Do You Believe In Life After Love”, encouraging a complete sing and dance-along.
The show was celebrated with people dancing, kissing, and singing at the top of their lungs, and although the show was over, the crowd was alive and everyone seemed to have had the night of their lives.