Review: Mungo's Hi Fi

By: Elisa Kobayashi

Mungo's Hi Fi: the much-awaited St Andrews’s event! Music is Love brought the bass-heavy reggae and dub beats back to Club 601 thanks to the return of our beloved Mungo’s Hi Fi, a Jamaican sound-system based in Glasgow. I had the chance to talk to many previous Mungo’s Hi Fi eventgoers before the event, whom all expressed feelings of enthusiasm for the big return. Some comments included:

’Been waiting all year for this.’ 

‘Is there even a point of being at this uni if no Mungo’s?’ 

‘I can’t wait!! Cramming to get all my work done before Mungo’s!’ 

So did the night live up to my expectations built on these banging reviews? I’d have to answer that question with a confusing response: yes and no. And here’s why… 

The night opened with the supporting act by Bert E from Glasgow, warming the crowd up for Mungo’s with some afro-beats. Because of the lack of dance-hall reggae beats generally in this town, many of the people attending seemed to be thrilled for a fresh air of Jamaican music in the Union. A crowd of people started to pour in around midnight with students dressed down in rough/‘wavy’ colourful shirts and t-shirts with Pablos in their hands, faces glowing with excitement for the blasting core-shaking bass of Mungo’s Hi Fi to come. 

The overall music selection was excellent, playing big tunes by Top Cat or a reggae take of songs like ‘original nuttah' and Congo Natty, whilst keeping some variety by throwing in some grime here and there, scoring some aggressive assertion of gun fingers from the crowd. 

Mungo’s Hi Fi went in hard with ‘wheel-up’ songs playing all through the set (like Herbalist, Did You Really Know and their newest release with YT), leaving everybody grooving till the very end of the night. It was a reviving, laid back, genuinely enjoyable night!

The one disappointing factor, voiced by a couple of people at the event, was the drop in the level of bass from the sound system. This may had something to do with policies of the venue, but nevertheless, it was a bit of a let-down without the shaking, body-numbing booming sound that was expected. (Londoners familiar with Notting Hill Carnival and Brixton Splash… you know what I’m talking about.)

All in all, Mungo’s Hi Fi is always a refreshing night for the tropical house-loving St. Andrews. Great event and thanks to everyone at Music Is Love!! The success of Mungo’s now leaves us all with eagerness and anticipation for the next event to come!