Review: Dent May

There are times in our lives when we resort to pop music. We all have our Abba, our Whitney, our Madonna or our Supremes moments. Many of us give Mr. Simon's Gracelands a regular listen or cannot live without the Beach Boys. That night on my way to Monarch, running into a punk street fest on Dresdner Straße, I did not even know I needed a pop moment. But that was what I got and I liked it.

Dent May used to be famous for playing the Ukelele. It looks like he ditched that little beauty for this tour. Or maybe forever, I don't actually know. But he has brought with him a guitar and a very mixed group of fellow musicians. They almost looked like a boy group in that they all seemed to represent a different type of musical genre. Thus, there was something for everyone here, most of all a varied musical night. 


The bass player slapped the bass high in front of his chest, his medium long hair wobbling along. The keyboard player didn't take his hooded tracksuit jacket off during the set, looking distinctly like a college student turned DJ. He wouldn't have seemed out of place in the Happy Mondays either. And my guess is that the drummer has a punk background and he's proud of it. Dent May was of course Dent May. There is something nerdy but also something 'guy next door' about him, yet he somehow reminds me a little of Paul Simon in the 80s, with glasses. These were just the visuals.

Musically, we were given the history of sweet pop from the 70s to the 90s. I was reminded of Gene, of the Beach Boys, of the Bee Gees, a lot of Wings, Peter Gabriel and Paul Simon. Dent May has got a distinct sound, you cannot deny that. However, there were so many references I could hear, I lost track. But you know, I actually appreciated it. I have seen so many bands lately that seem to reference nothing but themselves and their mates, it was good to hear some music that drew on the vast history of rock and pop music out there.

The crowd seemed to feel this way, too. A lot of dancing took place. The red light led us to believe we were in Andy Warhol's Factory in the 70s, perfectly matching this music that made us remember youth before us. A swell pop evening and one to keep in our hearts for a while. Nothing groundbreaking but sometimes something pretty will do just fine. We all need our pop moments.

Dresdner Straße on my way to Monarch