Hunky Homo Rockers MAN ON MAN Announce Sophomore Album Provincetown with Lead Single ‘Showgirls’

Posted on April 20, 2023 by Paul 'Browny' Brown

man on man showgirls provincetown gay rock

It’s been a hot minute since we last heard from indie-rock outfit MAN ON MAN and if you’re new here, it’s time to catch you up before we get into their next phase…

The band burst onto the scene during the pandemic when real-life lovers Roddy Bottum (Faith No More) and Joey Holman (HOLMAN) debuted the music video for their first song ‘Daddy‘, which caused controversy after YouTube banned it because of it’s homosexual content. This caused an uproar in the gay community, especially towards the double standards the scene faced in the mainstream spotlight – example – Not once did ‘WAP’ get red-flagged for it’s sexually graphic content, nor has anything Jared Leto produced during his experimental 30 Seconds To Mars music video making days – so why do the gays get banned?

When I sat down for a chat with Roddy and Joey about the project, we discussed the drama they experienced and Joey wrapped it all up perfectly by stating:

“Well, the video is fucking hot and no one can argue that. But, again, when you understand YouTube is a business, and understand Nicki Minaj and Meghan Thee Stallion generate hundreds of millions of views that have ads at the beginning, you understand that it’s serving a different purpose. It would be amazing if YouTube were artist-friendly, more specifically queer artist-friendly, but they’re not.”

Following the slight hiccup in their musical journey, the band went on to release their debut self-titled album in May 2021 – spawning the singles ‘Baby You’re My Everything‘, ‘Stohhner‘ and ‘1983‘.

Now, the dynamic duo are back and things are sweating already with the release of their new song ‘Showgirls’ – which serves as the lead singer for their sophomore release Provincetown set for release on June 16th on Polyvinyl Records. Lyrically, it’s about taking the plunge and, without getting too graphic, making the most of your sexual desires for the first time. Or 100th!

‘Once shy / Twice bit / Three strikes / You gotta use spit / If you wanna get used to it / Don’t say maybe / When you take me / Turn an amateur / To a connoisseur’

The track is an indie-rock jam, throwing back to the raw 90s rock sounds of Joy Division, Spiderbait, Sonic Youth-esque acts with a bit of flare thrown in for good measure. As for the music video, it’s a fantastic representation of not judging a book by its cover – as we see a room full of moshing men with no pretence (it looks just like your typical metal club show in 2023), until the rainbow flag drops and, well, things get steamy.

Don’t drop your beers in disgust though, it’s art; and as a formerly closeted homo myself, it’s nice to see some big ol’ gay representation in the rock scene. Take it (all) in below and stay tuned for more!

In the meantime, get to know Joey a bit more with his exceptionally penned piece for Wall of Sound; Gay Lines: An Homage to the Legacy of Silverchair from a Queer Kid Growing Up in America’s Bible Belt – right here

Words by Paul ‘Browny’ Brown @brownypaul

Pre-order Provincetown here