The Meffs Bring Punk Spirit and Defiance to The Hairy Dog in Derby

The Meffs brought their fierce punk energy to Derby as they wrapped up the final night of their grassroots venue tour at The Hairy Dog. While the Essex two-piece are no strangers to much bigger stages, having stormed the likes of 2000 Trees, Slam Dunk and even Download Festival, this intimate Derby show carried a special weight. The packed crowd was a fascinating mix of older punks in well-worn Rebellion Festival merch and younger faces discovering the raw power of punk for the first time, united by the band’s music and message.

The show started with a bit of humour as the band asked the Derby crowd to boo them for being from Essex. The mood quickly turned into excitement, and by the time the third song “Everything’s Gone” began, singer and guitarist Lily had the crowd moving in a pit built on energy rather than hostility. She made a point of saying that Meffs pits are about fun, not fighting, and the audience followed her lead.

As the set went on, the band found different ways to keep the room on its toes. Their cover of The Prodigy’s “Breathe” landed perfectly, and when introducing “Wasted on Women,” Lily shared a story about a fan who once told her they did not usually like female singers but liked The Meffs. She explained that she did not take it as a compliment before launching into the song’s sharp lyrics: “I wish you could see the world through my eyes.” It was one of the more reflective moments of the night.

Staying true to the grassroots spirit, the band also looked back to their roots, pulling out two songs from their earliest demo, which went down as strongly as their newer work. Lily spent much of the set breaking down the wall between band and audience. She led a circle pit from the middle of the floor, had the entire crowd crouch down before leaping back up together, and encouraged stage diving. The highlight came when drummer Lewis’s mum joined in, surfing across the room as Lewis asked fans not to drop her because she had work the next morning.

The night was not without its message. Before “Broken Britain Broken Brains,” Lily spoke about how immigrants and refugees are not the problem in this country, but racism is. The response was loud and approving.

The show ended with “Clowns,” which pushed the crowd into one last frenzy before the band stepped off stage and straight to the merch table to meet fans. It was a fitting end to a tour that put the spotlight back on grassroots venues and the community that supports them.

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