In three hours The Mysterines will open for the Arctic Monkeys at Emirates Stadium in London. The idea of performing to 60,000 people is a daunting prospect for any musician, but vocalist and guitarist Lia Metcalfe is cool and calm as we settle onto two plastic red seats overlooking the stage her scouse rock band will soon play. Even empty, it looks intimidating. Fortunately, Metcalfe prefers bigger crowds. “The best part about playing in front of so many people is that I can’t see who I’m playing to,” she says in her distinctive Liverpudlian tones. “It’s like people secretly reading my diary rather than me reading it aloud to them.”
The Mysterines – formed by Metcalfe and completed by George Favager (bass), Callum Thompson (guitar) and Paul Crilly (drums) – have quenched a thirst in modern guitar music. They make unashamed rock ‘n’ roll. It’s rich and moreish like Ruby Port; as is the colour palette that dominates both their music videos and wardrobes, all swathed in black and red. Rugged riffs and driving drums give their sound a seductive heaviness similar to Queens of the Stone Age. That combined with Metcalfe’s husky, powerhouse of a voice (a result, she says, of “always having a cold – I live right by Mersey!”) and you can see why they’re comfortable playing big shows. In the last few years, The Mysterines have ticked off feats on any band’s bucket list: release a debut album (Reeling), complete an American tour, and bag an Arctic Monkeys support slot. “We grew up listening to them,” says Metcalfe. “So it’s a weird full circle moment.”
