When I got the opportunity to review MAUPA, I jumped at the chance. This 6-piece indie outfit originate from my neck of the woods, in Accrington (please note - with regards to the milk advert, DON'T EVEN GO THERE), in North East Lancashire - and I'm all for drumming up support for home-grown talent.
OK, before I get accused of cronyism, I'd like to state my case that the North West has traditionally produced some bloody important bands in the past, hence my interest. Plus, despite being London-based, my roots are very definitely planted in the North, so yes, I will unabashedly support any up-and-coming band from that area.
Aside from the obvious Manchester-based bands of the late 80's/early 90's - groups such as the Boo Radleys (Liverpool), the Verve (Wigan), Doves (Salford/Manchester), Elbow (Manchester), and the Coral (Liverpool) are all, or have been important players in shaping the current state of modern indie music. I'm not putting Maupa in this camp by any means, they are a little too green just yet - but there is great potential here, and they have elements of all the above bands in their music.
I had no idea what to except when I turned up to see this band, and I was pleasantly surprised at the quality and style of their music. There were delightful harmonies, hooks, and riffs suggestive of the Small Faces, and I would also guess that Mogwai and Spiritualized also feature in their record collections, never a bad thing as far as I'm concerned.
Maupa's songs were inventive, joyous, melodic and atmospheric. They did come out with the expected angular sound that is in vogue at the moment, but they also built on that to create an epic sound that knocks you sideways. Which isn't surprising, given that Maupa comprise of two or three guitarists (depending on the song), a bassist, a keyboardist, and a drummer - not to mention the healthy amount of instrument swapping going on as well.
All good fun, although they did display a tendency to faff about between songs during their set, so occasionally it felt you were watching a band rehearsal rather than a performance. Normally this wouldn't really warrant a mention, but their songs are so captivating that I felt that they should really use this to their advantage and take the crowd all the way with them.
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As it was, I was taken up with the general feel of their music, only to be dropped abruptly while they pratted around with their instruments - a classic case of "How to Lose an Audience 101". However, saying that, this is something that can be easily sorted, and if they can nail that aspect of their performance, they'll be flying.
Maupa have been together for "about 6 years", and they've known each other for yonks. Originally two separate bands, these folded and the remaining members got together to form their current line-up. The name "Maupa" is Polish for Monkey apparently. The story goes that the drummer's uncle's wife is Polish, so they just asked her "what the names of things were [in Polish]". Fair enough, it does the job.
They've not been doing too badly for themselves either. Maupa have already been on the same bill as Pete Doherty last New Years Eve at Bar Aqua in Manchester. And fair play to them again, as they reportedly did their set around 11pm, and then bolted back home to "get hammered" with their mates, rather than "Hang around for 4 hours for someone we don't even like". Agreed.
So what does the future hold for this band then? For starters they are releasing their forthcoming single early 2006 (date to be announced), and they will then be playing extensively around the North West, and with a bit of luck back down in London.
Maupa are a decent solid band, and for the most part they have stayed true to their musical roots. Their sound is big, and their songs are lovely. Check them out, you won't be disappointed.
(www.maupa.info)
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