Monday, June 21, 2021

The friends experiment

Returning later than planned from a weekend away unfortunately meant missing the opening acts of the livestreamed charity fundraiser in aid of Gig Buddies, organised by Dev of IDLES and held at the Exchange in Bristol - but what I did catch was well worth tuning in for.

The primary attraction was Stewart Lee's first live performance since the pandemic hit in March last year, featuring a twist on his doorstep Evangelist routine from the late 80s, a boast about having an apple in a fridge for a rider (at which he himself uncharacteristically cracked up), dating profiles and "jazz/folk cunts", some hilarious baiting of Radiohead fans and a furiously sarcastic riposte to Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden in which Lee suggested that statues of slavetraders should be thrown up rather than torn down. There was even the bonus of the grandad joke that never fails to leave me creased, no matter how many times I've heard it (very often at Glastonburys in the noughties).

But there was also the not insignificant presence of Mclusky at the top of the bill. Even without a crowd to riff off, they were in fine, ferocious form - opener 'Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues' and 'Alan Is A Cowboy Killer' in particular. Falco referred to acoustic guitars as "kindling", Damien Sayell flexed his muscles with that trademark meaty bass tone, and Jack Eggleston claimed to have been bunkered down at the Exchange ever since they played their last pre-pandemic gig there. Perhaps now he can finally be allowed to go home.

And very much an added bonus was an introduction to Fenne Lily, whose graceful, wistful indie rock - in the vein of Snail Mail and Big Thief - instantly charmed me into investigating her album Breach.

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