Mylo was the main event at Digital in Brighton last Thursday (5/6/08), but he was certainly not the main attraction. A local funk foursome began their tour of the south with a slapping start as the dressing-gown donning, 20-ish-year-olds injected old skool funk into the blood of the bouncing crowd. Despite a slow start which didn't back the drastic wardrobe, they managed to pull the crowd in so when it came to stripping off to their cut jeans-come-hotpants, they could have left their asses unwiped and the newly converted fans would still lap them up. If you fill the categories of being oldish,cool and lucky then you may have seen the Chilis back in the early Out In LA days. The raw kind of energy flea created would have left your heart beating funky for weeks. Now in the form of the aptly named Danny Bass you can find a crash cart of electric sound to re-funk your soul's core. The speed his hand works the bass neck can only be described as phallic, which fits perfectly with the semi-naked (a-la Chilis' sock-on-cock gigs of old) sexual onslaught of a session. Their self titled track combined powerful progressive bass with crashing drums, an ear canal cutting guitar solo and crowd sing-along orchestrated by frontman Christian Jennings Barnes. Brighton is the perfect sexual haven to have birthed such a fuck-frenzy inducing funk-some. Being a young band still honing all their raw energy, this is definitely one to keep an eye on. The Mag

They eat Funk for breakfast, they eat funk for tea and if you wanna get funky baby, go get funky with Mean Poppa Lean. (Borrowed from one of their songs) This Brighton based four piece make their grand entrance at Hectors in their diverse eccentric outfits, including 80's dresses, flamboyant shirts and newsprint skinny jeans all provided courtesy of Brighton store Red Mutha. Mean Poppa Lean posses boundless energy and certainly know how to put on an amazing show. With guitarist C Dog courting the crowd and rolling around at everyone's feet. His insane guitar playing skills were further highlighted with the impromptu playing of the East enders theme, along with Pop goes the weasel, much to the crowds delight. Mean Poppa Lean are masters of Funk, with bass lines provided by Danny Bass oozing with soul, riffs to amaze, and liquid vocals from the Master of ceremonies Christian Barnes. This is all melted together by Drummer John Grills, delivering the funk rock backbone. The Funk oozed on to the street, with passers by wandering in, being captivated by the Mean Poppa Lean sound. Tunes such as 'Ain't Nobody' and 'We Eat Funk' are instant classics. You have no choice but to 'shake that booty' with this band. Their songs posses strong bass guitar riffs and amazing melodies that stay in your head long after the last high hat has been struck. This show had everything, great tunes, great atmosphere, brilliant costumes and even choreographed dance routines. Playing at Brighton's up coming Great Escape, This is a live band not to be missed. With a scene saturated with so many dreary sound-a-like Indie bands Mean Poppa Lean are just what the music scene has been crying out for. By Jess Hamill (Brightonmusic scene)