The girls are back in town! My notes on We Are Lady Parts series 2 are further down.
I go to a lot of gigs and I like going to the cinema – this isn’t news to anyone who follows Yakety Yak. On the occasional evening when I’m home I study the TV listings – yes, I still look to see if anything grabs me – before flicking through Netflix or iPlayer. Below I’ll provide a brief overview of such. Let me know if you agree/disagree/want to thank me for warning you off!
MUSIC
Such sweet thunder: Tcha and the Vipers play exquisite acoustic jazz.
TCHA LIMBERGER’S VIPER CLUB
Tcha Limberger is a Belgian violinist whose father was a noted Roma musician. Tcha was born blind but, like Django Reinhardt (or Stevie Wonder), he has never let his disability stop him from achieving remarkable things. I first encountered Tcha earlier this century when he was playing Hungarian folk music – I believe he has, via his father, connections to the Transylvania region – but what he has excelled in is as part of hot jazz ensembles. At the new venue World Heart Beat – right behind the US Embassy in Nine Elms – Limberger lead the Viper Club through two dynamic acoustic sets. Their excellent debut album Taint No Use finds them investigating the violin/jazz dynamics Stuff Smith and Jonah Jones pioneered in the 1930s whilst putting their distinctive imprint on it. At World Heart Beat Limberger’s Viper Club featured double bass, guitar and trumpet and, so perfect were the venue’s acoustics, they chose to play without amplification - WHB lacks atmosphere but makes up for this due to the excellent sound design. The four musicians meshed beautifully with Limberger’s violin and Jerome Etcheberry’s trumpet engaging in a very distinctive, warm musical dialogue while the rhythm section kept things taut and crisp. Stuff Smith’s original Vipers were named after his tune I’m A Viper – ‘viper’ being slang for marijuana smoker in jazz circles – and, while no one sparked up a spliff at WHB, Tcha and Viper Club certainly were smokin’.
THE BLACK CROWES
I believe in my May gig guide I singled out the reformed Georgia band’s Hammersmith Apollo concert as possibly the rock gig of the month (or year…?). Which just goes to show how a mix of hype and nostalgia can go to this music fan’s head – the fuss over the band’s new album has meant commentators are suggesting a return to form (although a cursory Spotify listen didn’t suggest such to my ears) and, back in the 90s, I saw the Crowes three times: they were dynamic at the first two concerts then rather indulgent (ie extended guitar solos) on the third - yet this gig was the first date I had with Belen, a Basque firecracker who, even now, still mentions how impressed she was by the Crowes and the Royal Albert Hall. So I rocked up to the Apollo all excited then quickly felt that sinking feeling – firstly, the volume was extreme (painfully so) and the sound mix a mess. I’ve been to the Apollo enough times to know you can get good sound here but, for some reason, the Crowes were intent on bludgeoning us with dense, distorted volume. As feared, the new songs are dull and even the likes of Jealous Again and Hard To Handle felt leaden. For some reason they blasted through White Light White Heat – perhaps to suggest their tastes aren’t as narrow as many suspect – but it added nothing to the evening. The Crowes limitations – they were never more than a throwback to late 60s bands Humble Pie, The Faces, Paul Butterfield in sound and appearance – remains a lack of strong, individual songs. And age has meant their youthful verve is now long gone. I was also long gone well before the encore (when Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler apparently joined them on stage). When I experience bad gigs like this I feel a sense of something akin to spiritual defeat – travelling across London to risk tinnitus from some second rate stadium rock band… why do I bother?
1-2-3-4: The Subs played punk rock anthems I first heard aged 14 and, all these years on, they still sound great.
UK SUBS
I realised that heading out to see the UK Subs celebrate lead vocalist Charlie Harper hitting 80 on stage at Shepherds Bush Empire could again involve nostalgia/tinnitus/disappointment. Thankfully, I didn’t encounter any of these hazards as the Subs delivered a crisp, dynamic set that rocked hard without excessive volume and found Harper in very good form and humour. Charlie’s been playing in bands since the early 1960s but got his break when he formed the Subs in 1977. Since then he’s been through dozens of band mates – bassist Alvin Gibbs is now longstanding – yet never turned away from keeping the punk flag flying. Subs songs are sharp and smart with big choruses and crunchy riffs – I’ve liked them ever since I was 14 and seen Charlie lead the band at various venues in London and Belfast over the decades. Tonight they opened with Rockers, here Charlie chanted “born to live and die a rocker” – very true in his case (let’s hope he keeps rocking a good while longer) – and smashed through the best of their extensive back catalogue: noting that Guns N Roses covered Down On The Farm, Gibbs mentioned “I bought my house because of them.” Good to know they got a sizeable royalty payout. The most potent number of the evening was Warhead – always a slow burn with the audience chanting the ever more ominous chorus – and, with his kids and grandkids in the audience, the very engaging Harper really got to celebrate a memorable birthday.
DELVON LAMAAR ORGAN TRIO
Sometimes I’m late to the party – until a couple of months ago I’d never heard of Lamaar’s Organ Trio. The Seattle band, who have released a selection of albums over the past decade, are rooted in the sounds conjured up by the likes of Jimmy Smith and Booker T & the M.G.s, with Lamaar adding several soul/pop standards to their repertoire so adding familiarity. Soul-jazz artists like Jimmy and Lonnie Smith (no relation) and Ramsey Lewis were once amongst the most popular of jazz artists, before finding interest fading across the 1970s. There’s been spikes of enthusiasm for soul-jazz organ combos – via acid jazz and the reevaluation of Blue Note’s catalogue – and this has provided a fanbase for Lamaar to build an international audience. DLOT do a solid job – they keep the formula simple, the groove warm, offering recognisable tunes like Move On Up and Careless Whisper – and this means they sold out two nights at Camden’s Forge. The Forge is somewhere I often go to see music as rising African American artists often play here but, as a venue, its lacking in many ways. Notably for DLOT its a standing only venue yet Lamaar is seated at an organ, thus all I got to see of him was the very top of his head. On the night he played it feels uncomfortably crowded with poor sight lines and very humid. When Delvon started doodling on his organ – I’m unsure if he was searching for a sound or frustrated with the controls (his guitarist and drummer obviously didn’t know either as they appeared baffled as they waited for him to get a tune underway) – I decided “enough” and headed back into the night.
Devlin Zoe & Larry Love preach the A3 gospel.
ALABAMA 3 (ACOUSTIC)
Last December I reviewed here A3’s big band show at The Forum in Kentish Town. Its expensive to take the entire band out thus lead singer and songwriter Larry Love (Rob Spragg) regularly strips the band to a quartet – he, female vocalist, guitar and harmonica – and earn a chunk of change playing smaller venues. This is a good idea for several reasons, including that The New Cross Inn’s close to home (for me). The Inn is an extremely basic space that normally features loads of anarcho-punk bands but this didn’t put off A3’s fans who packed it and, as soon as the quartet took the stage, gave them a very merry welcome. “Merry” is a good adjective to employ for A3 as they approach music making with tongues firmly in cheek and a wry sensibility. Which isn’t to suggest their songs aren’t about serious subjects – they are – its just they use irony and wit to get such across. Employing elements of country, blues and gospel music – along with loud electronic beats when performing with the big band – makes for a unique fusion and one that upset the Britpop indie kids at the NME when A3’s 1997 debut album Exile On Coldharbour Lane dropped. This noted, those who did ‘get” Exile included David Chase, creator of The Sopranos (thus Woke Up This Morning ended up as that seminal show’s theme music). They played a very stripped back version of that tune in New Cross – Spragg’s an accomplished songwriter and his best songs work well with only voices, slide guitar and harmonica. My personal favourite, Too Sick To Pray, found vocalist Zoe Devlin meshing the song with Take Me To The River while Old Purple Tin – a droll homage to Special Brew drinkers – surged into Purple Rain (yes, very funny and everyone sang along). It was the most laughs I’ve had at a gig in a long while and, in these dire times, its nice to leave a gig where the songs have got you singing, thinking and chuckling. This noted, I do think the A3 quartet would benefit from pianist Orlando Harrison joining them on stage. And several of Spragg’s best songs (Bullet Proof, Mansion On The Hill, Sinking, The Thrills Have Gone, Year Zero) are sombre numbers – perhaps the acoustic gigs could include a solemn selection amongst the party tunes? To my mind, A3 remain the most engaging British rock/pop band of recent decades.
The Mekons and friend have a very good time singing for their supper.
MEKONS
Like the UK Subs, the Mekons formed in 1977 inspired by punk. And like the Subs they have long been led by the one original member, John Langford. Unlike the Subs who proudly stuck with punk and consciously never developed beyond it, the Mekons have always been eclectic, initially pushing into scratchy post-punk then blending an offbeat mix of country and folk music into their very permeable sound – this predates A3 but was never as focused as the Brixton band’s country-blues blend. Langford shares similarities with Rob Spragg in the sense they’re both Welsh Valley boys determined to follow their offbeat musical vision – its not won either great fame or fortune but they certainly appear to enjoy singing for their supper. Actually, Langford also paints – thus tonight’s gig was held at Art Dog Galley in Honor Oak (deep south east London) where he has an exhibition of his paintings and prints. These often involve country stars – Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Gram Parsons all feature here – and cowboy imagery. The same droll humour that permeates Langford’s songs is evident in his art. The gig was billed as “Mini Mekons” – playing as a quartet, Langford and long time collaborators Sally Timms (vocals), Susie Honeyman (fiddle), Lu Edmonds (Turkish stringed instrument). As with A3, the expanded Mekons only play when they know everyone can get paid. Playing three sets of four songs each – a break allowed for much catching up to be done and Langford to encourage punters to buy his art – it was high energy and big fun. Timms is a fine singer and the three instrumentalists mix dramatic flourishes and lyrical asides. They finished with Where Were You – like A3 their early tune remains the band’s most famous, recently appearing on One Day’s soundtrack – and they gave it a rousing sendoff with an old pal from (I think) a Jamaican sound system joining them to leap about. “Human music” is how Lu Edmonds describes the sounds that are made on an intimate level and all the aforementioned concerts – bar the Black Crowes and Lamaar’s lousy venue – captured this. Great stuff.
Jon Langford’s portrait of Patsy - as beautiful as her voice!
MOVIES
MONKEY MAN
Dev Patel – who ever since his debut in teen TV series Skins in 2006 – has been one of the more interesting British actors currently working, directed, starred and co-wrote this Bombay set action movie. Monkey Man is, essentially, the John Wick franchise shifted to India – a revenger’s tale that features extreme carnage (in a cartoon manner). There are more serious themes here – looking at the toxic politics and corrupt dealings of ultranationalist religious/political figures (which mirror Modi’s India) – but, for the most part, this is a bare bones kung fu flick. I imagine many young actors look to Keanu Reeves’ career arc as a role model – doing flashy action movies alongside more serious dramatic material – and Monkey Man obviously hopes to be a franchise. As with the Wick movies, I enjoyed it – there’s loads of stunning fight sequences and some ingenious killings – but, as with Keanu’s carnage rampage, it falls flat after sixty minutes or so. Like eating pizza, it tastes good then, after one slice too many, you feel bloated. That said, this is vicarious dumb fun although, if there is a sequel, they need to develop the script more, especially the solitary female character (a beautiful, suffering sex worker). Testosterone city? Yep.
HIT MAN
Director Richard Linklater is, I think, my favourite US film maker of recent decades. Not everything Linklater releases is a gem but his best work – from Dazed & Confused through the Sunrise/Sunset/Midnight trilogy to Boyhood – demonstrates a director who has consistently made films that are humane, engaging and, often, very funny. Linklater’s a great observer of people and how they interact (and react) and thus Hit Man fits him perfectly. The story sounds absurd (but is seemingly based on a true story) – a college professor whose great passion is birding volunteers for the New Orleans police department and, suddenly, finds himself having to pretend to be a hit man that ordinary citizens hire (to take out their partner – or a business associate). This is entrapment but, seemingly, is encouraged by the department’s head. Anyway, the prof’ – who everyone sees as a total geek – finds he’s extremely gifted at playing a cool, calculating killer. So much so he starts dating one of his clients (she happens to be beautiful) and thus a spider’s web is woven around him. Hit Man is subtle and funny and offbeat – very Linklater qualities – and, when things take a dark turn, he holds the viewer as Hitchcock would. The ending is ridiculous – in a sweet way – but I do wish Linklater and his co-writer had left things more morally ambiguous. That said, Linklater has always been very good natured and he maintains this here. New Orleans looks great on screen and there are tasty snippets of a few of the Crescent City’s finest songs. Glen Powell and Adria Arjona are excellent, he playing the goofy everyman with aplomb, while she sizzles on screen.
CHALLENGERS
I’ve seen a couple of Luca Guadagnino’s films previously but it looks like Challengers is the one to take him out of the art house and into the big time. Its a film about professional tennis as played in the US and three teenagers who meet as top amateurs and the way their lives – and desires – weave around one another over the next 13 years. The players are Patrick and Art, two privileged white boys, and Tashi, a very light skinned Black girl whom both boys desire – at the start Tashi looks set for huge fame, then her tennis career is derailed by a serious injury. Before the injury she visits the boys in their hotel room and initiates a threesome that leads to some serious boy-on-boy smooching. The film leaps forward 13+ years and Art and Tashi are married and successful (she coaching him) while Patrick, who she’d originally fallen for, struggles in the minor leagues. But Tashi’s desire for Pat just won’t quit… Challengers is slick and fun but the intoxicating yet destructive games these people are playing isn’t developed enough – did Pat and Art fuck each other? We’re lead to think their competitive friendship must lead to a top/bottom duel but nothing more is heard of such. Not even a casual aside. And why would Tashi keep risking everything to shag Pat in his crappy car? Essentially, the script is overheated and underwritten – as is Trent Reznor’s pounding techno soundtrack. A good date movie – there’s lots to discuss – but, finally, a film overly pleased with itself.
NON-ALIGNED
Serbian filmmaker Mila Turajlić’s Non-Aligned is a doc based on her discovery of 35mm film reels shot by Stevan Labudović, the cameraman of Yugoslav President Tito.
Non-Aligned delves into the birth of the Non-Aligned Movement - largely comprising newly independent nations that wanted to bypass the Cold War by aligning neither with the US or Soviet Union (Tito being the natural cheerleader of such) and their 1961 summit in Belgrade, which Labudović filmed. Turajlić interviews Labudović (a sprightly 88 year old who shares his clear, droll memories of being an eye witness to history), intersperses old b&w footage he shot and drops in contemporary footage she shoots in Serbia, Croatia, the US (the UN building) and Algiers (Yugoslavia was a major supporter of the Algerian independence struggle). She also finds dismissive TV reports from French and US broadcasters on the 61 summit - the empire builders were unhappy with the non-aligned movement (as surely were Russia and China’s leaders). If this all sounds very dry, well, it could be for anyone uninterested in 20th C history but this now largely ignored movement was an attempt to forge a movement focusing on mutual respect and social justice. That it failed and the 61 leaders all ended up becoming authoritarian rulers (to various degrees) is something to reflect on. I’ve long been fascinated by former Yugoslavia - Tito promoted unity across ethnicities and nationalities yet refused to allow his nation to develop into a democracy (so leading to its collapse after his death) - and Non-Aligned has insured I and my buddy in Balkan adventures, Nick Nasev, have plenty to discuss. Non-Aligned was screened as part of DocHouse at Curzon Bloomsbury - I recommend checking out DocHouse screenings.
The divine Esma Redzepova sang at the Non-Aligned summit in Belgrade - sadly, no footage of her is featured in the doc’ but its a good excuse for me to run my fave photo of the late, great Macedonian Roma icon. Also, as she was Muslim, Esma leads on to my next post!
TV
WE ARE LADY PARTS
The first series of We Are Lady Parts screened on Channel 4 in 2021. I loved it and looked forward to the second series. Well, its taken a while but the girls are back in town and the first 2 episodes – that screened on Thursday night – suggest Nida Manzoor’s offbeat punk band are going to wreak more havoc. To my mind, WALP is the best British sitcom since Derry Girls – admittedly, its nowhere near as funny as DG, its more observational, dramatic yet absurdist, as five young London Muslim women (all from Asian or African families) come together with a desire to rock. As an aside on the difficulties of holding bands together its spot on – surely one of the reasons I enjoyed it. And as an overview on being Muslim women who want to engage with secular London society, it also rings true – earlier this century I dated a British Asian Muslim for 3 years and I’m often reminded of her by the goings on here (I did message her in 21 suggesting she watch WALP but never heard back – punk rock would not be her thing, so I imagine she ignored my advice. As usual…). If Monkey Man is British Asian testosterone overdrive, WALP is British Asian-African ovarian absurdity. Girl power? Well, this lot are spicy!
BLUE LIGHTS
The BBC is awash with police dramas and I’ve not watched any of them – except Blue Lights. Why did I choose this one? Ummm, I think because its set in Belfast and I’ve a longstanding interest in Northern Ireland. And word suggested, when the first series started last year, that it was really good. Indeed, it was. Superb really. The best TV drama I’ve seen since Narcos, yet so much simpler than that epic series. Simple but complex – we may have had the Good Friday Agreement since 1998 but Northern Ireland remains sectarian, brutal and – for the hard men and women who once aligned with the paramilitaries – a lucrative place to deal in drugs and murder. The ordinary coppers on the street are a mixed bunch (in every sense) and their higher ups are revealed to behave as if no laws applied to them (and they seemingly don’t). This is complex, intelligent drama that asks plenty of questions and offers precious few answers. I think Series 1 is stronger than 2 but I still highly recommend it.
Jon Langford’s portrait of Hank - head along to Art Dog and check his exhibition.