PPL MVR surprise performance at Red Bull’s screening of Spinal Tap

Who the hell are PPL MVR and where did they come from? All gimmickry and showmanship aside, their music is pretty fucking awesome. They are a metal version of one of my favorite, new bands, Fartbarf and the first time I saw them at the Sunset Strip Music Festival I was skeptical but intrigued. No one knows who they are or why Atlantic Records signed them to a record deal with no established presence or fan base to speak of. One thing is clear- Someone is banking on them and sinking a lot of money into making sure that people are exposed to this band of yeti like creatures with metal guitars and vocoder vocals.

PPL MVR were the “surprise guest” at The Electric Dusk Drive In Theater for a screening of one of my favorite movies, This is Spinal Tap. This was yet another interesting special interest event that was a part of the diverse, 30 Days in LA by Red Bull. It was a beautiful night and setting in Downtown L.A. I set up a beach chair on the astro turf in front of the movie screen. Red Bull promised a special performance at an intermission and part way through the first half of the movie, one of the strange, ancient creatures of PPL MVR appeared in the lot behind the covered stage off to the side of the movie screen. Completely in character, the creature was being herded by a group of mere mortal actors, trying to corral the mysterious beast back behind the curtain.

The movie paused halfway through and the curtain came down off the stage to reveal these weirdo’s and their show began. They are a fun band. I don’t know if they need their hot costumes and gimmicks to sell the music which is just fine on it’s own but I can’t say that I wasn’t entertained by it all. The “lead singer “who has a wireless mic and effects powered by a human keyboardist set just to the side of the drummer, is definitely a showman. He jumped off the stage, guitar in hand, and menacingly got in the faces of the audience members while singing his ancient song. In the spirit of Spinal Tap, the band had a Stonehenge replica set up behind them. They plowed through a short set and just like that, the show was over and the movie resumed.

It was an interesting night that definitely raised a lot more questions than it answered about PPL MVR but something tells me that it’s all part of a greater marketing plan that was born before anyone even knew that this band existed.

Review and Photos by Danny Baraz