Mojo Juju, Snake Oil Merchants, Chickens and Robots

Band: Mojo Juju and The Snake Oil Merchants, supported by Made For Chickens By Robots
Venue: The Old Bar
Date: Saturday 19th January, 2008
Reviewed By: Heather

Well, these are definitely two of the most interestingly-named bands I have ever seen. It took me a little while to settle into the groove on that wet afternoon in Fitzroy, but once I was there I never wanted to leave. I have Emma Wild to thank for the experience, after she repeatedly and heartily recommended I check out Mojo Juju's Myspace. I'm so glad I did.

I stepped into The Old Bar, thankful for the reprieve from the weather. As the name suggests, it's old. The walls are plastered in Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Bob Dylan and vintage movie posters, along with The Old Bar's own gig flyers. Various relics and bric-a-brac probably scrounged from Grandpa's shed rounded off the decor. A decent-sized beer garden out the back contrasted with the tiny bar, small adjoining band room and pint-sized stage.

Made For Chickens by Robots is a one-man-band. Times seven, but still only one man. A megaphone, a suitcase, a guitar and some other interesting instruments (read: I have no idea what else he was playing) rounded out a very bizarre but intriguing act. In the absence of words to describe the scene on stage, I'll lift the blurb from the website:

He can count to 3 in seven different languages. He uses only the finest selection of low quality factory-rejected farm animals, such as a moo moo cow, a bah bah sheep, and a billy goat that sounds more like a broken moped than a goat, to authenticate his sound. One-man-cowturd-band from Stinker, Australia, MADE FOR CHICKENS BY ROBOTS plays resonator guitar, bangs a suitcase and an icecream can with his feet, conducts a choir of Australiana farm animals, and mumbles incomprehensible rubbish through a bullhorn megaphone with just the one mouth and four limbs he was born with.

So. That's him. The megaphone made for some fantastic DIY sound effects, and they fit well with the slightly thrashy old school rock/blues/garage/sideshow sound that came from the stage. Despite my furrowed brow and my difficulty in comprehending exactly what I was seeing, the oddly catchy tunes caught me by surprise and I found myself enjoying the show. It's a must see for anybody who likes... well, either doesn't like anything or loves everything really, because there is absolutely nothing I can compare the music to. All I can say is get along to a show and attempt to figure it out for yourself.

After a short break and some sound checks, Mojo Juju took to the tiny stage with The Snake Oil Merchants crammed in around her. I was a little worried they ran the risk of being hit with the trombone slide, but the set was uneventful in that respect. There were six instruments in total - an abbreviated version of the album musicians - drums, trombone, bass, guitar, accordion and singing saw.

I felt as if I'd been transported to the high seas in the 1600's. Gypsy and pirate references were scattered about the lyrics and Very Difficult To Pronounce's affirmation "We're for dancing!" set the mood and left no doubt as to what the band was there to achieve. The accordion and singing saw were not just there for show - both were applied liberally and the odd coupling actually worked incredibly well.

Mojo's voice was a huge surprise. Her sultry blues tones were gorgeous, and the depth in her voice could give Aretha a run for her money. Her massive notes were effortless and her scatting masterful. I couldn't have been more impressed.

Very Difficult To Pronounce, The Clown Prince of Misrule (the voice of The Snake Oil Merchants) is the embodiment of Borat's rebellious brother. He acted out the song lyrics and danced amongst the crowd serenading members of the audience and ordering beer from the bar. His melodromatic antics provided the off the wall comic relief that really made the performance.

Unfortunately, the timing of the gig (mid-afternoon Saturday) meant that the oft-requested dancing was almost non-existent. I would love to go to a later performance one day to see the night time side of the band. The impromptu singalong of "La la la la la la la la" during The Warning was a great ending to an unforgettable afternoon.

I hear tell they may be back in March 08. Let's hope.