Dust blowing forward and back
On Friday night, myself, Victor S and Stephen Gardner ventured down to Cinema Nova, one of Brussels' hotspots of state-sponsored bohemia, to see a gig by Eugene Chadbourne, Jimmie Carl Black and Pat Thomas. Chadbourne has long been known in alternative circles (the John Peel show, etc) for his quirky take on popular US idioms (blugrass, country, jazz, punk rock), while Black was the drummer in the Mothers of Invention, and his post-Frank output is infused with a Zappa-esque sensibility. British-born keyboard player Pat Thomas, best-known for his collaborations with guitarist Derek Bailey, added an improv twist to the eclectic mix.
Arriving late, we took our seats in the paint-stripped cinema as Chadbourne, Black and Thomas fired into a kooky version of 'The girl from Ipanema' (re-styled 'The girl from Al-Qa-e-da'). At this point, Chadbourne was on electric guitar with Black behind the drums, later the ex-Mother would take the mic, with the guitarist switching to the banjo.
A comprehensive, two-part set included a few (forgettable) original compositions interweaved with a wide mix of covers - from The Dead Kennedys''Nazi punks fuck off' to Jimi Hendrix's 'Long hot summer night'. I found a lot of this rather blah, a tired 80s 'kill yr idols' response to the rock canon, essentially as pointless as Pussy Galore's note-for-note retread of the Stones' 'Exile on Main Street' in 1986.
Where the trio of performers did connect was when they covered Zappa/Beefheart numbers such as Hot rats' and 'The dust blows forward 'n' the dust blows back'. Then, the twisted Midwest bar band vibe seemed just right. Otherwise, it was certainly not a drag, but the question 'what's the point?' was never far from consciousness.
Chadbourne's use of the banjo and the quirky choice of material reminded me of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. Here's a review of one of their shows that I wrote six years ago:
Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain @ Cecil Sharp House, London - June 4 1999
TONIGHT at the HQ of the English Folk Song and Dance Society, the UOGB proved that there’s far more to roots music than the po(lka)-faced asceticism with which it’s usually associated. Formed with the intention, doubtless tongue-in-cheek, of seeing the ukelele accorded the same status as the violin, drum and sax, the Ukes – as they are fondly known – have been giving audiences a good time for the last 13 years with their unique recipe of wildly eclectic music and witty repartee. Finding themselves in reduced circumstances – four of the orchestra are unavailable – doesn’t dampen their spirits, or the quality of the entertainment.
Sitting in a line facing a small but enthusiastic crowd, the four tuxedoed guys and woman in black Capri-pants kick-off with a rendition of the standard, 'Running Wild', followed by a bit of Tchaikovsky and a cover of Catatonia’s 'Road Rage'. Between songs, founder George Hinchcliffe and company engage in a steady stream of comic banter. (Sample gag: What’s the difference between a baritone and a soprano ukulele? A baritone ukulele burns for longer).
Despite the high humour quotient of tracks such as the cod-awful Bill Oddie-penned 'Ironing my goldfish', the UOGB are more than just a comedic turn, as their spelliinding 'Koto track' and Hester Goodman’s genuinely affecting rendition of Lou Reed’s 'Perfect Day' amply demonstrate. Covering a breathtaking range of styles with aplomb, the orchestra’s playfulness is seriously educative, especially when a cover of Bowie’s 'Life on Mars' transmogrifies into the (melodically similar) 'My Way' and 'For once in my life'.
In the tradition of English eccentricity exemplified by the Bonzo Dog Doo-dah Band, the Ukes possess a healthy sense of the ridiculous – from their promo literature advertising the University of Ukulele Studies, to their covers of X-Ray Spex’s 'Oh Bondage! Up Yours!' (from a forthcoming album of punk covers) and 'You make me feel (like a natural woman)' (complete with ludicrous falsetto harmonies).
Resident at Cecil Sharp House – Regent’s Park Road, NW1 – on the first or second Friday of the month, the UOGB like to keep things fresh by introducing guest performers. On this occasion it was Andrew Frank, a ‘tip-top dancer’, whose songs from the shows ('Putting on the Ritz') and of life on stage (the hilarious, 'The night I appeared as Macbeth'), reinforce a sense of the theatrical about proceedings.
An intermission follows, during which the orchestra, as good folk performers are wont, mingle freely with their fans in the bar.
There’s no falling off in quality after the break, if anything, the reverse, as a second dose of Andrew Frank and covers of 'Be-bop-a-lula', Bach, 'I, who have nothing' and 'Should I stay (or should I go)', amongst others, build us up to the inevitable showstopping finale: the theme from 'Dambusters'.
Mixing quantity and quality in equal measure, a two hour-show passes by in a flash. Don’t pass by the chance to see the Ukes: a good time is guaranteed.
ENDS
I'm not sure I would be so enthusiastic about the UOGB today. They are playing on London's South Bank next month, should you wish to try the experience for yourself.
Arriving late, we took our seats in the paint-stripped cinema as Chadbourne, Black and Thomas fired into a kooky version of 'The girl from Ipanema' (re-styled 'The girl from Al-Qa-e-da'). At this point, Chadbourne was on electric guitar with Black behind the drums, later the ex-Mother would take the mic, with the guitarist switching to the banjo.
A comprehensive, two-part set included a few (forgettable) original compositions interweaved with a wide mix of covers - from The Dead Kennedys''Nazi punks fuck off' to Jimi Hendrix's 'Long hot summer night'. I found a lot of this rather blah, a tired 80s 'kill yr idols' response to the rock canon, essentially as pointless as Pussy Galore's note-for-note retread of the Stones' 'Exile on Main Street' in 1986.
Where the trio of performers did connect was when they covered Zappa/Beefheart numbers such as Hot rats' and 'The dust blows forward 'n' the dust blows back'. Then, the twisted Midwest bar band vibe seemed just right. Otherwise, it was certainly not a drag, but the question 'what's the point?' was never far from consciousness.
Chadbourne's use of the banjo and the quirky choice of material reminded me of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. Here's a review of one of their shows that I wrote six years ago:
Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain @ Cecil Sharp House, London - June 4 1999
TONIGHT at the HQ of the English Folk Song and Dance Society, the UOGB proved that there’s far more to roots music than the po(lka)-faced asceticism with which it’s usually associated. Formed with the intention, doubtless tongue-in-cheek, of seeing the ukelele accorded the same status as the violin, drum and sax, the Ukes – as they are fondly known – have been giving audiences a good time for the last 13 years with their unique recipe of wildly eclectic music and witty repartee. Finding themselves in reduced circumstances – four of the orchestra are unavailable – doesn’t dampen their spirits, or the quality of the entertainment.
Sitting in a line facing a small but enthusiastic crowd, the four tuxedoed guys and woman in black Capri-pants kick-off with a rendition of the standard, 'Running Wild', followed by a bit of Tchaikovsky and a cover of Catatonia’s 'Road Rage'. Between songs, founder George Hinchcliffe and company engage in a steady stream of comic banter. (Sample gag: What’s the difference between a baritone and a soprano ukulele? A baritone ukulele burns for longer).
Despite the high humour quotient of tracks such as the cod-awful Bill Oddie-penned 'Ironing my goldfish', the UOGB are more than just a comedic turn, as their spelliinding 'Koto track' and Hester Goodman’s genuinely affecting rendition of Lou Reed’s 'Perfect Day' amply demonstrate. Covering a breathtaking range of styles with aplomb, the orchestra’s playfulness is seriously educative, especially when a cover of Bowie’s 'Life on Mars' transmogrifies into the (melodically similar) 'My Way' and 'For once in my life'.
In the tradition of English eccentricity exemplified by the Bonzo Dog Doo-dah Band, the Ukes possess a healthy sense of the ridiculous – from their promo literature advertising the University of Ukulele Studies, to their covers of X-Ray Spex’s 'Oh Bondage! Up Yours!' (from a forthcoming album of punk covers) and 'You make me feel (like a natural woman)' (complete with ludicrous falsetto harmonies).
Resident at Cecil Sharp House – Regent’s Park Road, NW1 – on the first or second Friday of the month, the UOGB like to keep things fresh by introducing guest performers. On this occasion it was Andrew Frank, a ‘tip-top dancer’, whose songs from the shows ('Putting on the Ritz') and of life on stage (the hilarious, 'The night I appeared as Macbeth'), reinforce a sense of the theatrical about proceedings.
An intermission follows, during which the orchestra, as good folk performers are wont, mingle freely with their fans in the bar.
There’s no falling off in quality after the break, if anything, the reverse, as a second dose of Andrew Frank and covers of 'Be-bop-a-lula', Bach, 'I, who have nothing' and 'Should I stay (or should I go)', amongst others, build us up to the inevitable showstopping finale: the theme from 'Dambusters'.
Mixing quantity and quality in equal measure, a two hour-show passes by in a flash. Don’t pass by the chance to see the Ukes: a good time is guaranteed.
ENDS
I'm not sure I would be so enthusiastic about the UOGB today. They are playing on London's South Bank next month, should you wish to try the experience for yourself.
posted by Justin Toland at 5:43 pm
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