Ode Warrior!

On Wednesday evening, I went to see Mitch Benn and the Distractions, at the Rondo Theatre, in Bath. It's not the first time I've seen them, and of course I also enjoy hearing Mitch on the The Now Show.The Rondo is a teeny tiny theatre - I believe it seats around 100 people, so even if you're seated at the back, you're still very close to the stage!

I really enjoyed myself. I've seen Mitch several times before, so I had very high expectations, which were more than met! And I persuaded my friend Cheryl to come along, and I think I've converted her, too. Her review is here.

There were lots of new songs, including an excellent song about love (and allergies) written and sung by Kirsty Newton, and another about the Queen Mother's love of Jamaica...

Mitch wrote a song during the interval, (featuring the Titanic memorial cruise, and the extradition of Abu Hamza) which would have been impressive had it been pre-written, and was at least doubly so having been written in the 20 minutes or so of the interval.

I particularly enjoyed Mitch's Eurovision song (here - listen), which reminded me of what Flanders and Swann might have done if they had been allowed to use rude words, and of course, one of my absolute favourites, "I'm Proud of the BBC"

If you find Mr Benn is performing anywhere near you, go see him. And if he isn't, go and listen to the Now Show on Radio 4, and search for him on youtube.

You won't regret it.

(tour dates and stuff here http://www.mitchbenn.com/

[Edited to add: Can't BELIEVE I forget to mention the song about Quantum Mechanics! There was a song about Quantum Mechanics, people!]

An Evening at the Theatre

Last night I ended up going to the theatre again. It was a fairly last-minute thing; someone who I've been chatting to a bit asked me out, and I thought, 'Why not?'

We met up at the Rondo Theatre in Bath (where I saw Mitch Benn last week) and saw Our Country's Good - it was an amateur production of the play, which set in Australia, in 1789, (based loosly on real events) in which the governor of the Penal Colony encourages the production of a play, in the hopes of bringing a little civilisation and humanity to the lives of the convicts, despite the difficulties which arise when half your cast are reluctant, or are laible to be flogged or hanged part way through rehersals! the play-within-a-play, which the convicts are trying to produce, is The Recruiting Officer , a restoration comedy whose characters and situations are a far cry from the lives of the convicts.

It was a little confusing - partly becasue many of the cast members were playing more than one role (with very limited costume changes) but very good fun.

In Which Mr Mitch Benn Sings

The Fifth of November is traditionally Bonfire Night, with fireworks and bonfires the order of the day (or night) But I had a better offer, so around 7 I set off into a dark and drizzly night to head for Bath's Rondo Theatre to see the fabulous Mr Mitch Benn. I didn't miss out entirely on the fireworks, as there were several lots being set off which I was able to glance at in passing as I drove along.

The Theatre is a very small one - it only seats around 100 people, is mostly run by volunteers, and I think it must be related to the little shops in Sir PTerry's books, because I am absolutely certain that it is in a slightly different steep little backstreet in Bath every time I go. I like it.

I arrived, acquired a rather nice pint of Spitfire and found my seat, which was very close to the front (admittedly, as there are only 10 rows, it's quite hard NOT to be close to the front, but still...) It's the kind of place where you have a tendancy to meet people you know, or to fall into conversation with strangers.

Once settled, with my pint, I had nothing to do but wait for the show to start. Which, very shortly, it did.

Mr Benn (supported by Ivan Sheppard on drums, and Kirsty Newton on Bass, Piano Organ & vocals) began with 'The Interactive Song' (You have selected situational comedy in the style of Lily Allen')... which was a fun start.

We had quite a few of the older songs - one of my personal favourites 'Now He's Gone' (sung by Kirsty Newton) and a lot from the new albulm. ('Motorway Food' , Love Your Love Handles''What would Elvis Do?')

Where else can you see elderly ladies in tears of laughter over a song about Auto-erotic Asphyxiation?

I love that Mitch takes so many 'stock' types of song and totally subverts them - noting that there are plenty of break-up and unrequited love song, but very few songs about being happily in a relationship, which gives us 'Disgustingly in Love' ;

"Our friends all think we're dead but,
We just stay home instead 'cos,
We are disgustingly in Love..."

And who else would point out that, Shakespeare were alive today he would NOT, as so many people believe, be writing soap opera, but rap music. Which leads, inevitably, to his rendition of Macbeth (in the style of Eminem...)

I would love to hear that this was being played in schools - can't help feeling that, like Manga Shakespeare, it would probably go a way to encourage people to give the Bard a chance...

Then of course, there was the IKEA anthem, 'Please don't release this song' (with a spookily good Beatles voices...) and Sing Like an Angel, which perfectly captures the spirit of the X Factor and it's clones.

One of the most impressive parts ofthe eveing is that Mitch will write a whole new song during the interval - based on 2 or 3 recent news stories suggested by the audience - on this occasion, A (tiny)tornado in Bath, the opening of the new shopping centre ( a Much bigger story!) and the story about the court having thrown out Nick Griffin's allegation he'd been racially abused (Yay!!) 'twas a fun song.

Towards the end of the evening we got Mitch's Rock -Musical version of a great literary classic - The Very Hungry Caterpillar ...

Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and the final encore was the song Mitch wrote in Memory of John Peel - Let's have a minute's noise for John'

After the show Mitch was selling CDs so I had the chance to say Hi, and to buy a copy of the latest CD (Mitch Benn, where next?)

Having had the forethought to get a copy of Mitch and Jon Holmes' book A History of the World Through Twitter which he signed for me.

If you get a chance, go see the show. And if not, all the albulms are available as CDs or downloads here