Reasons to be cheerful (a Blockheads musical). Sat 31st March, 2012. Hackney Empire, London.

A play based around the music of Ian Dury and The Blockheads? How can I NOT go to this? 🙂 Directed by Jenny Sealey, artistic director of disabled-led theatre company Graeae and featuring a talented cast, this is definitely a must for Blockheads fans.

The story takes place in 1979 when the song “Reasons to be cheerful (part 3)” is climbing up the charts (where it would eventually peak at number 3). Vinnie works in a supermarket with his mates and they all want to go to the Blockheads gig at Hammersmith Odeon but it’s sold out and they’re all skint anyway. What follows are their attempts to wangle tickets while we find out more about their politics, love lives, parents and working relationships interspersed with a blast through all the favourite Blockheads tunes (some neatly worked into the flow of the script and some just blatantly performed ‘cos we want to hear them (“it’s always the right time to do ‘Blockheads’…”).

The cast perform with an enthusiasm and an obvious affection for the songs and look to be loving every minute of it. Particular stand out being John Kelly, a man who’s never let his disability define him (much like Ian Dury). A nice touch is that whilst the play is going on a backdrop shows subtitles of the dialogue and there’s also someone interpreting the dialogue in sign language, something that seems obvious to do in a theatre but doesn’t seem to happen nearly enough.

The script is exactly like an Dury song, at times funny, sad, irreverent and never afraid to laugh or be silly. Given the thumbs up by all the Blockhead members, and many fans of the band, this is an uplifting take on the music, lyrics and spirit of the great Ian Dury.

Peace.

http://www.reasonstobecheerfulthemusical.co.uk

The Apples, Blind Tiger Club, Brighton. Sun 11th Mar, 2012

The Apples are a funky nine-piece from Tel Aviv, former students at Jerusalem’s Rubin Academy of Music, who play a jazzy, funky, danceable groove laced with hip hop sensibilities and cutting and scratching turntables from two DJs. Here to promote their latest album “Fly on it”, an Apples gig is always an exercise in all things funky.

Centred around the powerful drumming of Yoni Levi, the four piece brass section and double DJ assault perfectly compliment each other and drive an infectious dance groove.  They play a little bit from their five albums to date, with Yoni introducing the numbers on the new album (which to be honest don’t sound like a huge departure from what they’ve previously done). They go down a storm however, with the biggest cheer of the night reserved for “Killing”, their funked up cover version of Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the name”.

They’re a great dance band with a funky brass section, exactly like James Brown had with the JB’s (The Apples previous album “Kings” featured several tracks with Fred Wesley, an obvious nod to one of their many influences). Unmissable live, great to dance to, all you need from a live show.

www.theapples.net

Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Concorde 2, Brighton. Sat 10th March, 2012

Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings are a rip roaring soul/funk outfit from Brooklyn who are here to promote a new album “Soul time!” with what promises to be a lively show. In terms of a dynamic set, real energy and sheer pace of performance, they’ve always reminded me of Dyke and the Blazers, a comparison I’m sure they could probably live with. The band comprises drums, bass, horns and guitarist/MC, the wonderfully monikered Mr. Binky Griptite. They play fast and tight and were used my Mark Ronson on over half of Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black” album.

Mr. Griptite introduces the band, the songs and the star of the show Ms Sharon Jones, who’s a soul singer in the Etta James school of real singers. She sweats, growls, screams and croons, along the way showing us how to do the “Funky chicken” and “The pony” in a Rufus Thomas stylee. Things get a little serious when she tells us that she lost her mother only a few days prior to this gig, but this leads into a Gospel tinged sermon and a genuinely heartfelt tribute to Etta James, Whitney Houston and of course Amy Winehouse – a burst of song mimicking each of the deceased songstresses showing that Ms Jones can match the vocal range of them all.

Catch ’em live if you can, an old school soul revue from a modern day band.

Peace.

http://www.sharonjonesandthedapkings.com/