Photo: Bradley Calder
Words: Ken Magno
There are not many acts within the music world that can be described as timeless, let alone be awarded the accolade of being one of the most influential artists of 2024 in his own breakout year. Described as “your favourite artists favourite artist”, Mk.gee has grown from cult followings to having one of the fastest growing followings seen within the alternative music sphere.
From song writing credits with the likes of Role Model, Omar Apollo, Fred Again, the Kid Laroi and even Drake, to being the co-producer of Dijon’s genre-bending and career defining debut album ‘Absolutely’, Mk.gee is no stranger to the musical world. His own debut release of ‘Two Star and the Dream Police’ was already named by many as the high contender for Album of the Year, while only being released in February.
Mk.gee’s distinct sound rung out across the halls of the Enmore as the night began with the sombre title track from his debut, ‘Dream Police’, a song which showcases his beautifully haunting story telling mixed with his signature call and response style guitar playing. The night was mostly dark and ambient, with low amounts of lighting used compared to a normal show at the Enmore, putting more of a focus on his skills as a musician than his actual image.
Tracks such as ‘A Little Bit More’, ‘I Want’ and ‘Breakthespell’ casting an image of a broken and tortured lover longing for something just out of his reach, with the sound being a perfect blend of Jeff Buckley style song writing mixed with Phil Collins-esque instrumentals. His use of unorthodox techniques to transform his guitar from the instrument most people would familiarise themselves with to a sonic tool that elevates how he speaks his message. Mk.gee’s instruments are an extension of his body, with his distorted vocals taking the backseat to the melodies he’s able to communicate through his use of sound manipulation with his guitar. This is best displayed in his hit single ‘Are You Looking Up?’, which became an instant indie hit upon release.
Though there were many points in the night that caught the audience off guard (most notably his iconic Eagle-like shriek that he would yell out between lines), nothing was as pleasant of a surprise as when he performed fan favourite track ‘DNM’ (co-written by his good friend Dijon) a grand total of 4 (maybe 5) times, bringing the crowd to their feet and having the whole venue starting up in a giant moshpit, something that was not on my concert bingo – though something only someone as talented as Mk.gee could accomplish.
The night ended with an encore that felt more like a musical replay of the whole night, starting with ‘Alesis’, which brought forward that upbeat ambience that he is known for, before hitting us with another run or two of ‘DNM’, wrapping up with a second play of his most recent release ‘ROCKMAN’, an anthemic release reminiscent of the Police’s style of music. Mk.gee’s journey to becoming one of the most notable artists of the decade (if not, of all time) is certainly ramping up without any signs of slowing down, and can only be summed up by his iconic line in ‘Are You Looking Up’ – “So if you wanna go, then baby, go wide”.
