It’s not every day you hear a supergroup described as “Dylan, Dali, and Ginsberg on a rocketship to the moon to have it with the Clangers.” But when it’s Noel Gallagher doing the describing, you listen.
Mantra Of The Cosmos, the not-so-quiet brainchild of Zak Starkey, has added yet another legendary name to its roster. Their latest single, ‘Domino Bones (Gets Dangerous)’, has Gallagher singing the chorus, Shaun Ryder snarling through the verses, and Andy Bell (because of course he’s here) letting loose on guitar. All the while, Starkey does what Starkey does: plays everything else and somehow makes it work.
The single, out on 19th January 2025, will be celebrated with a gig at Liverpool’s Cavern Club. Starkey’s ties to the place run deeper than most: his parents apparently courted there. He jokes they might have even conceived him there. “Can’t believe I’ve never even been,” he admits, before adding, “I’m buzzing to be doing it.”
Mantra Of The Cosmos is less a band and more a glorious collision of personalities. Shaun Ryder is on vocals, Bez is, of course, on percussion, Andy Bell is on guitar, and Starkey, with a CV that stretches from The Who to Oasis, is the glue holding this beautiful mess together.
For this track, Gallagher sent Starkey a demo, and the stakes were high. “It’s not every day the greatest songwriter of my generation sends me a tune,” Starkey says. No pressure, then. But Starkey knew he had something special. “Noel calls Shaun the ‘king of lyrics,’ and he’s not wrong. What Shaun does is pure genius.”
The title, ‘Domino Bones’, is a nod to Bez’s first band. Ryder’s verses are sharp and punchy, Gallagher’s chorus soars, and Bell’s guitar solo is the kind that makes you wish you were standing in front of a Marshall stack.
For their Cavern Club show, the band will play two sets, one in the afternoon and another in the evening. In between, Bell and Ryder will hit the decks for DJ sets. There’s even support from local acts Keyside and Chloe Slater, and a compère in the form of Philip Regen, aka “The Queen Of Scotty Road”. It’s equal parts gig, party, and family reunion.
Starkey hopes the show shines a light on how important grassroots venues still are. “When I started, you could gig every night of the week without a record deal. That’s what’s missing now. Bands need places like the Cavern to learn their craft.”
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- Andy Bell
- Bez
- Cavern Club
- Mantra Of The Cosmos
- New music
- Noel Gallagher
- psychedelic rock
- Shaun Ryder
- Supergroup
- Zak Starkey
