Mickey is the worst opening band you’re likely to encounter. Its live shows exhaust everything—blood, sweat, beer, spit—and leave the headliner performing in a pool of residue to a crowd that’s already seen what its paid for. The band is a discordant mix of libertines who only barely tie everything together through a mutual affection for chaos.

But the one thing Mickey does unanimously agree on, its musical output, is much more focused than its dialogues. Its debut LP for Hozac Records, Rock ’N’ Roll Dreamer, is an airtight assault on contemporary rock, fusing the now-divergent roles of glam’s theatrics and punk’s intensity. The group’s members say they’re already halfway done with their follow-up, but that’s assuming they don’t change their minds and scrap the whole collection for something better. The A.V. Club talked to Mickey’s members about the band’s process and its output before Mickey plays the Cobra Lounge on New Year’s Eve.