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Review
(Thanks to Martin Lewis for contributing this... if anyone
knows who wrote this, let me know
so I can credit them!)
Concert
Review : The Rutles + Wreckless Eric
at the 100 Club, Oxford Street
30/03/04 This concert sold out very quickly and an extra date two days
later was set up and also sold out. Having been crushed against a pillar
and suffocated by the guy in front's affro haircut in the seventies, at
a sell-out Jam concert, I was a little nervous about whether I was going
to be able to breathe. Actually here it was comfortably spacious, which
I put down to a new, presumably draconian, fire limit. So, who are the
members of the Rutles audience in 2004, given that their amazing TV movie
"All You Need Is Cash" had premiered in the seventies ?
Well, it was a forty-plus-something crowd, so it seems the popularity
of the Beatles amongst a younger audience hasn't been transmitted onwards
to The Rutles. I'm happy to give a big thumbs up to the door staff, who
were the most reasonable and courteous that I can recall in a central
London venue. This was particularly necessary as Ticketweb had totally
balls-ed up the issuing of tickets, paid for some 5 weeks previously.
Next time I'll try Stargreen or ideally get them through the club.
I had some extra fun, as being the only guy in a Beatles-style suit everyone
thought I worked at the club. Wreckless Eric was funny and fun, without
backing band. He said there were too many instruments on stage for him
to fit his band on, and he felt like he was playing in a music shop. He
proudly displayed that he still had hair after all this time, and he read
from his book where he describes his memories of the Rutles from the sixties
(!) and his disappointment that they didn't come home to tea with him.
He got a good response, and even performed "Take The Cash" (or is it "Kash"?),
one of my personal favourites, that I haven't seen him do live before.
He ended on his classic first single "Whole Wide World".
Suddenly, without much ado, the Rutles took to the stage and launched
into "Number 1". There were a lot of them : Piano - rhythm guitar - bass
- drums - percussion - two lead guitars - percussion - electric piano
& synth. There always was this sort of number on the original recordings,
despite them being the "Prefab Four". Original members Neil Innes and
John Halsey a.k.a. Ron Nasty (guitar) and Barry Wom (drums) were the stars
of the show. The crowd chanted "Barry, Barry" every time he did anything,
including when he sang his songs, in a style totally faithful to the role.
One of the guitarists was Andy Roberts, who I particularly remember for
his wonderful guitar backing to Roger McGough poems on an early Scaffold
album. Neil Innes appeared to be himself, although he did add Liverpudlian
pronunciation to the songs as appropriate.
The 100 Club is even longer and thinner than it's stage, and these days
has tables and chairs around the stage, which the ageing audience, and
those who just wanted to soak in the show, seemed happy with. Neil Innes
was very nice, and appreciative of the excited enthusiasm of the crowd,
who were singing along, and at one point threw tea bags (The Rutles were
infamous for their outrageous tea drinking). Interestingly, the band were
in casual stage wear. Innes himself was in black T-shirt and black jeans,
and comfortable with his bald pate (was that what Wreckless Eric was referring
to ?). Having been spoilt by multi-costume change Bootleg Beatles appearances,
this seemed a little tame, and afterwards I recommended suits to him.
The Pretty Things were notorious for not wearing suits in their heydays,
but elect to wear them these days, allegedly because otherwise they would
look 'too bad'. The Rutles didn't look bad, but I think it would add an
extra 'show' dimension if they went for the whole thing. That said, the
songs did the talking with all the classics and more. "Hold My Hand",
"Let's Be Natural" along with the trickier ones like "Cheese and Onion"
and "Piggy In The Middle". They took a little break in the middle where
I stayed rooted to the spot for fear of losing my excellent vantage spot.
The lyrics of the songs were occasionally very striking. Some seem just
light parodies of the way we accept the Beatles lyrics unquestioningly
these days. Others were really quite amazing observations on life. I was
particularly 'tingled' by one that I think is called "Eine Kleine Middle
Class Music". There was some interesting social commentary going on, as
well as humour. Barry Wom sang "Easy Listening" - a light number that
gently listed all the horrible human problems we could ignore while we
enjoyed easy listening (which it was - except for the lyrics). He solo-ed
on paper ripping (!).
They finished on "Get Up & Go", and I was only disappointed that they
didn't climax with their "All You Need Is Love" parody "Love Life". The
great thing about small clubs is that you actually get to meet the band
afterwards. Neil Innes was a thoroughly nice chap, who puts hearts in
his autographs. He told me that he hopes shortly to get the rights to
his TV show "The Innes Book Of Records" so that it can come out on DVD.
This series was a magnificent collection of haunting and moving songs,
brought to life with live action, and I can highly recommend it.
Grins all round from the crowd and I for an excellent evening.
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