Not only is The Mighty Mighty one of our favourite bars, what with its endearingly gauché fit out and entertainingly gauché barstaff and wot-not, but this weekend they host two very exciting (and very different!) gigs.

Mëstar are touring their recent album Shut The Squizwot Factories Down and on Friday night (the 20th) they play at Mighty Mighty with Hot Swiss Mistress:

(Sorry for the stink photo of the gig poster but it was the best I could do with my phone-camera on the way to work this morning.)

And then, on Saturday night (the 21st), at the starting time of 9pm is the avant-punk theatrics of Mr. Sterile Assembly, with Xenu and Thee Strapons:

Mëstar (MySpace page here) are a national treasure and I love them a lot. Back in 2004 I kinda-reviewed their album Porcupine as well as a gig I saw them play. (Ahh those heady days of the Cross bar.) Shut The Squizwot Factories Down is out on Arch Hill and about it I recently found myself dashing-off a few excitable sentences to a friend:

the breathlessly twee vocals.. the gratuitously soft-loud-soft-loud dynamics of Nirvana.. the effortlessly catchy and irrepressible power-pop predilections of Teenage Fanclub.. the buzz and attention to sonic detail of prime My Bloody Valentine.. all combine to form a sum of parts which is everything you ever wanted in a modern pop record..

Here's the press from Mr. Sterile:

Xenu: 2 piece bass/drums, math pop that brazenly lurchs into darker terrortories.. Mr Sterile Assembly: scronking cartoon characters with tooo much to say, in a post-Asian tour/pre-recording frenzy.. and Thee Strapons: Russ Meyer, with safety pin in his nose, and a G.G. Allin sneer, in the wildest go-go frenzy

Sounds fun, eh. Do yerself a favour and treat your ears.

(Yes, that is a Frankman poster. Coincidentally there is an underground comix fest on this weekend. This looks good, too.)