So, I have just learned that the mighty Blow Monkeys, suave and somewhat camp soulcialists from the mid-80s, are coming back. Brighton Komedia on May 27, London Jazz Cafe on May 28 and 29. (And a new album on the way.)
I've seen Dr Robert guesting at a T. Rex tribute gig recently and he's lost his lizardly figure, shall we say (haven't we all?), but I'm still gonna go.
As a reminder of their fleeting magnificence, here is the young-David-Owen-resembling, letter-R-mispwonouncing Robert and his Monkeys at their peak:
"Digging Your Scene" video
"Wicked Ways" video
"It Doesn't Have To Be This Way" video
"Out With Her" on ToTP (complete with Bolanesque boa)
(Sadly there's no clip of their equally wonderful early single, "Atomic Lullaby")
Phwoar. Never mind Gay For Johnny Depp. I'd have gone Gay For Mid-80s Dr Robert, man.
I saw them twice, back in the day. The first time they were supporting Lloyd Cole And The Commotions at Treforest Polytechnic, and I had no idea who they were.
The second time, they were headlining the Hammersmith Odeon, and Curtis Mayfield joined them onstage. Curtis Mayfield was wearing khaki shorts and a pith helmet, like he was in It Ain't Half Hot, Mum.
If only he'd been wearing it when that lighting rig fell on his head, eh.
(By the way, as I was writing this, I was thinking "Man, this must be Wingco's least favourite bands ever..." and, lo and behold, when I click the genre "sophisti-pop" on The Blow Monkeys' Wikipedia page, it reads "It was subject to criticism at the time, especially from Melody Maker in the United Kingdom, mainly by Simon Reynolds and David Stubbs".)
Comment