High-octane funk band Mantic are a six-piece cacophony of madness, fused together by the love of the job. Infectiously energetic, the boys sit opposite me in the pool room of Lavery’s and I feel like a very lucky girl as I try to stop them from interrupting each other. Bassist Odhran takes it upon himself to explain the ethos behind Mantic’s journey, “ We want to show the music goin’ masses that other genres of music exist and that these other kinds of music can be assembled to make some damn fine sounds, then unify that with a blistering live show”. Hailing from in and around Draperstown, the boys have been Mantic for just over 6 years now and are building a loyal and fun-loving fan base, but as percussionist Ravi explains, despite the fans loyalty the music scene can sometimes be a little hard to break into. “Music is about expression of originality and we are pretty damn sure we tick that box. We really put on a show, which is another reason why people would pay to come out and 'see' a band as well as hear them. Unfortunately we don’t seem to fit into the scene at the minute, which is a big reason why we continue to, well, 'Fall outside' the clique that has developed in Belfast.” That doesn’t seem to deter people like Paddy Glasgow from giving them a slot on the main stage of the ever growing local festival, Glasgowbury; or photographer Graham Smith from attending and photographing almost every gig the guys play. The band has been through a number of transitions in the past few years. Front man Jumanji took a break and was replaced with sensational soul singer Victoria and album Mahogany Gaspipe was released. Then another reshuffle saw the return of the often dress clad Jumanji and a much more focused, infused group. Fresh from recording their second album the lads are raring to go and guitarist Kev can’t help looking to the future. “It’s only a matter of time before people sit up and take notice of bands really trying something different. Human nature is just that, we get bored of the same things after a while. We have done and always will be providing what we consider to be good music for those that need something else...something different”, “Until it becomes the norm, then we’ll do somethin’ different”, front man Jumanji chips in, laughing.
Steely determination, a great sense of humour and a severe lack of ego (not to mention some amazingly catchy tunes) makes Mantic an easy band to fall in love with. Funkafied to the rafters these boys know how to put on a show. Join the psychedelic circus express that is Mantic. Go to www.experiencemantic.com for more details.

By Jennifer Warnock