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@ the Bully, Oxford 19.7.01 (review © Jon Horne 2001) from Touch Oxford (internet magazine and What's On guide)
Surprisingly, it worked. But I'll come to that later. Imagine for a moment that this is a review of a new group - admittedly a group made up of experienced musicians - but a new group nonetheless, playing a show in a small-to-medium sized venue, at a crucial early stage of their career. I ask you to imagine this, because for the first half of the Blockheads' performance at the Bully last Thursday night, that is exactly what we were treated to. And it was a treat. The Blockheads are an extraordinarily good group. Even when Ian Dury was at at the height of his powers, selling records by the million and dominating the stage like no other performer before or since, they were never an anonymous backing band. They are, as they always were, the finest players of (what is now known as) 'music of black origin' in this country. The Blockheads are one of the great musical units, fit to be discussed in the same sentence as Booker T and the MGs, James Jamerson's Motown band, or Phil Spector's Wrecking Crew. Their unique strength is an ability to play black American music with complete confidence, but without losing sight of English wit and distance. There is only one way to do that: become so tight and precise in your playing that you can afford to muck about. In Ian Dury's lyrical world, the characters would occasionally get dirty, funk around, and do all the other euphemisms for sex - but unlike their American counterparts, they would more than likely get a groin-strain in the process. Chic's 'F*** Off' would have remained 'F*** Off', had Dury written it, rather than being transformed into 'Le Freak' for chart consumption. And always, the Blockheads played with a naughty twinkle, enlivening their funk with wild jazz and music-hall silliness. With Ian Dury gone, the Blockheads are still finding their feet visually and vocally. Dury's absence from the stage is as powerful as his presence used to be. Chaz Jankel and Norman Watt-Roy noticeably shy away from the space in front of Dylan Howe's drums. Guitarist John Turnbull sings lead vocals from stage-right, practically hiding behind the speakers, and he leaves the song introductions to the more confident Jankel. Still, John Turnbull is beginning to find his voice - a fragile soul voice, with a slightly mannered accent common to singers from the North-East (Sting, Bryan Ferry), which suits the new songs well. Visually, Norman Watt-Roy on bass is a compelling figure. A balding Asian east-Londoner with piercing eyes and the filthiest grin since... well... Ian Dury, he prowls the stage hunched like a vulture, sucking in the attentions of the audience. Also (and someone might like to tell the group this), on the rare occasions he spoke, the crowd shut up and listened to him. In the end, the Blockheads stand or fall by their music. Their funk is not of the minimalist, percussion-driven variety; it is based around making tunes as danceable as possible. Chaz Jankel used to write hit tunes ('Glad to Know You' was a huge hit in the US dance charts in the mid-1980s, as was Quincy Jones' remake of his 'Ai No Corrida'), and he still writes great tunes. Everyone danced. When the band announced that they were going to start playing the oldies, the crowd's reaction was not a cheer, it was a sigh of disappointment, along with calls for more new songs. The Blockheads were good enough that no one needed to hear the oldies. When I found out, a couple of days before the show, that Phill Jupitus would be singing Ian Dury's songs with the Blockheads, I wasn't best pleased. This wasn't a matter of being precious about Ian Dury's songs: 'Brand New Boots and Panties' is a record to be proud of - full of great music, and featuring some good, occasionally inspired singing (particularly Cerys Matthews' brilliant recasting of 'If I Was With A Woman' - a performance worth the price of the CD on its own). Even when a remake fails to capture the spirit of the original (such as Robbie Williams' oafish reading of 'Sweet Gene Vincent' - apparently Paul McCartney wanted to do that one; he really should have been given a go), the results are still interesting and listenable. But Phill Jupitus is not a singer, he is a comic - and he wasn't even on 'Brand New Boots and Panties'. In fact, he did the job superbly. Phill Jupitus is a Blockheads fan of anorak proportions. Speaking to him and the group before the show, it became apparent that he owns copies of every recording and every piece of video footage that Ian Dury ever made, including records that the Blockheads didn't know existed. As such, he knows better than to try to impersonate his hero. What he did, throughout the whole second half of the show, was simply to recite the songs, and to let Ian Dury's words do the work. There were moments when he had to struggle with Ian Dury's phantom presence. Occasionally he could be seen stopping himself from doing one of Dury's stage-moves, such as swallowing the microphone - and I swear that once he came close to limping, but just managed to stop himself in time. The result was that Jupitus treated Ian Dury's songs with far more respect than Ian Dury ever did. That is no bad thing. This tour is a special occasion: the Blockheads are promoting a record of very old songs, in memory of their old bandleader, and that deserves a bit of respect. In all, they played about half of 'New Boots and Panties', along with the hits, 'What a Waste' (preceding which, Jupitus was able to pass on the news of Jeffrey Archer's prison sentence - the place erupted) and 'Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick', as well as the two songs whose titles have become part of the English language, 'Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll' and 'Reasons to be Cheerful - part three'. The Blockheads were funky throughout, and everyone still danced, including two people in wheelchairs in front of the stage. Some very large men cried during 'Sweet Gene Vincent'. At the end of the show, there was an outpouring of affection, from the crowd to the band, the like of which I have never seen at a concert. This was not just sentiment at the loss of Ian Dury; there was relief there, too. Losing a great entertainer is bad enough, but it would have been a rotten shame to lose one of this country's great groups as well. The Blockheads will be on tour for a few more weeks. Go and see them. Phill Jupitus will be appearing on "a few dates, as and when I can, what with my hectic schedule of, er... pop quizzes." Look out for other surprise guest singers. Further Tour Dates: SUN. 5th AUGUST @ The Guildford Festival ( 2p.m.) MON. 13th AUGUST @ The Jazz Cafe London TUES. 14th AUGUST @ The Jazz Cafe London SAT. 22nd SEPTEMBER @ Bradford Rio SAT. 3rd NOVEMBER @ Vicar Street Dublin Keep an eye on the Blockheads' web site for more information An interview with the Blockheads just before this show You might also like to read my appreciation of the original 'New Boots and Panties'. - - - read more rants and raves |
