Dandy In The Underworld

 

R JOHN WEBB - THE INGENIOUS GENTLEMAN DANDY THE VANDAL AND THE GODFORSAKEN SWEETHEARTS

Birmingham singer-songwriter R John Webb is a man of many faces. For 10 years he was the rabble-rousing preacher at the front of cowpunk gospel favourites Rhino And The Ranters, before releasing a solo EP "The Bridge" with a more introspective feel, which I reviewed here.

He then briefly rebranded himself as R John The Revelator, a psychedelic messiah who was around just long enough for a live-streamed lockdown show with migraine-inducing visuals. I might try to persuade him to resurrect this persona, it would be well suited to a night such as Sensateria.

The latest incarnation is his most ambitious project to date. Dandy The Vandal is a time-travelling glam rocker who witnessed the 1970s winter of discontent and the country's subsequent ruin during the Thatcher years. He has now materialised in the 21st century on a mission to save us from Brexit. R John Webb's first full-length solo release could almost be called a concept album, using elements from all eras of popular music to help us learn from the past and hopefully not repeat the same mistakes.

The short intro piece "Toast Gown" sets the political tone, with the sampled voice of Margaret Thatcher bringing to mind Test Dept's sonic experiments, although I doubt they were a conscious influence on Dandy The Vandal. The title, however, is clearly a spoonerised reference to the Specials, as the social problems described by the Coventry band in 1981 are still prevalent today.

The album kicks off properly with the title track. With its Ziggy Stardust/T Rex vibe, this is the most obviously glam rock number on the album but the spirits of Bowie and Bolan will continue to permeate as we progress through the tracks. Our time traveller arrives in the present day and is clearly baffled by what he finds here. The obsessions with celebrity  - "They all love him, he don't wanna know" - and social media - "Don't need a like for him to get high" - are alien concepts to him. This leads straight into a familiar song, "We Are the Subterraneans", which was previously heard on "The Bridge" but it's presented in a different form here. Rather than the piano of the EP version, this is a soul-funk piece that could have come from Bowie's "Young Americans" album. Here we see how the style in which a song is played can give it a new meaning. The original version hinted at outcasts banding together in a desperate attempt to survive but here they are a clandestine group plotting to undermine what we have come to take for granted.

Next up is "Small Island", which has definite hints of Bruce Springsteen. Listeners with more modern tastes might think of Arcade Fire, but let's not forget that they were influenced by Springsteen, another reminder that musical history, and perhaps time itself, is not linear but a continuous loop. At first the lyrics seem at odds with Bruce's love of cars, starting off with a criticism of driveways packed with Audis and BMWs. But it's an attack on consumer culture in general, and the urge to put on a show just to outdo the neighbours. This is not too far removed from Bruce and his working class values, and I'm also reminded of the "status symbol land" that the Monkees longed to escape in "Pleasant Valley Sunday".

"Do Juan Don" is an oddity, with a melody taken straight from "Blame It On The Boogie" but the stream of consciousness lyrics put a dark slant on it, simply because it's almost impossible to imagine what the time traveller could be talking about. But that may well be the point - the line "signifying nothing, written on a bootstrap" neatly sums up much of today's throwaway pop music.

With its 1950s rhythm and do-wop backing vocals, "Coup Coup Collider" is the closest in style to a Rhino And The Ranters track but lyrically we're still in surreal territory. There are references to Covid and the "call for isolation, moral degradation" of living in lockdown, with a strong implication that Dandy The Vandal, rather than our hapless government, would be the best candidate to lead us out of our current malaise.

"We Belong To Her" has an eastern vibe, which many have done before in a contrived hipster way (remember Kula Shaker?) but this feels more authentic. At the same time this could be a dig at those who use mystic imagery with no understanding of its origins. Who is the mysterious character "shrouded in the charts and she speaks in astrology" ? The message here is to abandon your new age beliefs and follow the common sense advice of the Vandal.

Bowie resurfaces on "Feel The Madness" but we have now left the 1970s and "Let's Dance" is directly referenced in the lyrics, suggesting that the only way to escape the madness is to immerse ourselves in music. Another reference point is Talking Heads and I'm sure I can detect a hint of Peter Gabriel's 1980s work, which makes me think that these songs would lend themselves to animated videos.

Closing song "The Moment You Love Me" brings us up to date, starting with a delicate guitar intro that could be from one of Radiohead's more accessible tunes before developing into a neo-folk piece that I can imagine being played in one of our smaller venues such as Kitchen Garden Cafe or Tower Of Song. The time traveller tells us "the moment you love me, I'm gone" before a choral rendition of "Land Of Hope And Glory" disintegrates into the same cacophony of looped voices that started the album, creating a TARDIS-like effect as our hero is transported back to his own time zone. Maybe he feels his work here is done, but it's more likely that after just 40 minutes in the present day he's realised that society is screwed and there's nothing more he can do for us. Whatever, I don't think this is the last we will see of Dandy The Vandal.

With so many direct references to classic artists you might accuse the album of being derivative but that couldn't be further from the truth. It's a cleverly constructed piece of work that shows us how it's important to learn from and be inspired by the past without blindly copying. To quote the title track, "Bohemian chic of the charity store, they all imitate but they don't know the score." I've been listening to music for long enough to know that it's almost impossible to find something completely new, but it's refreshing to hear an album that takes those charity store finds and uses them in an innovative way.

"Dandy The Vandal And The Godforsaken Sweethearts" is released on 28th July and can be pre-ordered from Catch The Buzz records on Bandcamp:
https://catchthebuzz.bandcamp.com/album/the-ingenious-gentleman-dandy-the-vandal-the-godforsaken-sweethearts

There will be a launch gig on the same day at the Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath: https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Birmingham/Hare-And-Hounds/R-John-Webbs-Dandy-The-Vandal-Album-Launch/36040628/

Cool With A Capital C

 

GARETH JONES 1980 - 2022 / MISTY'S BIG ADVENTURE 1996 - 2022

The Birmingham music community was thrown into shock and grief last week when it was announced that Gareth Jones, a.k.a. Grandmaster Gareth, mastermind of cult Brummie band Misty's Big Adventure, had passed away at his home on Sunday 15th May. The previous night the band had played a rousing set at the Hare And Hounds in Kings Heath, their first hometown show in over two years. They had been very productive during lockdown and I counted at least six new songs in the 90-minute set alongside the usual live favourites plus a few surprises. Future dates were planned and the band members were clearly looking forward to these.

Misty's Big Adventure's last gig, Hare And Hounds, Saturday 14th May 2022

I spoke to Gareth briefly at the end of the show, just to ask for the set list which he had quickly stuffed into his pocket as soon as the last song was over. I would never have believed this would be the last time I'd see him. 

Set list from final Misty's Big Adventure gig, Saturday 14th May 2022

I can't claim to have known him well and speaking to gig-going friends this week I was surprised to find many said the same thing. Gareth was a very private person and I rarely saw him out, except at his own gigs and occasionally those by his friends The Nature Centre. My interactions with him were limited to telling him I'd enjoyed a gig and him thanking me for attending. I don't mean he was unfriendly, he just had no rock star aspirations, preferring his small group of friends and no-frills lifestyle. I've heard stories, though, of him re-arranging gigs to fit in with fans' birthdays and helping at sessions for adults with learning difficulties. The few who knew him well say he was one of the most easy-going people on our local music scene.

Grandmaster Gareth onstage, Saturday 14th May 2022

Gareth put together Misty's Big Adventure with a few friends in the mid-1990s, when he was still a teenager. The line-up soon stabilised to the one we know today with Jon Kedge on guitar, Lucy Baines on sax, Hannah Baines on trumpet, Matt Jones on bass, Sam Minnear on drums and Lucy Bassett on keyboards. Their live sets were augmented by Tom Baines as Erotic Volvo, a red and blue dancing alien with hands all over his body. As with many of our talented local acts, the sound of Misty's is hard to define as it takes in so many influences. The first time I heard them I immediately thought of Julian Cope, particularly his early '80s work before he discovered space rock and stone circles, so I was pleased to hear Gareth confirm that Cope was indeed an inspiration. Other reference points include '60s and '70s pop, and the brass section hints at the Midlands' 2 Tone scene. But what really defines Misty's is the striking contrast between the upbeat music and Gareth's deadpan vocal delivery. Combining this with the witty lyrics, most of which were written solely by Gareth, Misty's went far deeper than their light-hearted appearance would lead you to expect. Gareth's glum stage persona was, I suspect, an exaggeration of his true character and I was surprised to learn that he was a good few years younger than me. I'm not suggesting that he looked old, just that he had a great deal of wisdom for one so young and this is particularly apparent in his lyrics.

I don't imagine there are many reading this who are not already familiar with Misty's but in case you've been living under a rock (or outside of Birmingham) I'll give you a quick run-through that will hopefully inspire you to give them a listen. If you're in a hurry, the double vinyl compilation "The Young Person's Guide to Misty's Big Adventure" will provide you with their career highlights but for completists like myself, I recommend working through their five main albums in sequence. All of these can be found on their Bandcamp site mistysbigadventure.bandcamp.com/ 

Let's take a quick look at each of them:

After years of gigging and a couple of singles, debut album "...And Their Place In The Solar Hi-Fi System" finally arrived in 2004. This is the perfect starting point for a Misty's novice as it clearly lays out their philosophy in the space of 45 minutes. "Night Time Better Than The Daytime" in particular is a song that defined Misty's from the very beginning.

The follow-up "The Black Hole"  (2005) was apparently knocked out in just ten days and I would imagine many Misty's aficionados would cite it as their favourite. In fact if I ever get round to writing the list of ten essential Birmingham albums, this one would definitely be in the running. "Never Stops Never Rests Never Sleeps", "The Story Of Love" and "Smart Guys Wear Ties" are long-standing staples of their live shows. The album also includes my own personal favourites "Elevator Escalator Stairs" (perhaps the most Julian Cope-like they've ever sounded) and "She Fills The Spaces".

"Funny Times" (2007) shows the band progressing lyrically with songs such as "Serious Thing", "How Did You Manage To Get Inside My Head?" and another live favourite "I Can't Bring The Time Back".   

The next album "Television's People" (2008) is a bit of an oddity in their catalogue. A concept album of sorts, it's cleverly constructed but few of the songs featured in their live sets. At times it resembles their Jug Of Ale contemporaries Pram and Broadcast. It's definitely worth a listen but requires perseverance to fully appreciate it.

Final album "The Family Amusement Centre" (2011) sees them back in familiar territory although these are some of the most introspective songs Gareth wrote. As I worked through all the records in the light of last week's news, the lyrics to this album in particular took on a new, poignant meaning. Songs such as "I See A Cloud", "Still Haunted By The Same Ghost" and especially "Just Another Day" made me quite emotional when taken in this new context so perhaps it was a bit too soon to revisit the album.

It's also worth mentioning the 2006 single "Fashion Parade", the closest they ever came to a hit, with a guest appearance from Noddy Holder:

Gareth's solo work, also found on Bandcamp, shows his more experimental side. Although much of it feels like him larking about at home, it's worth noting that some of these pieces were used in TV shows and computer games, most notably a theme tune for Dave Gorman.

In this time of sadness it's encouraging to see people coming together to support each other, with many fans and friends posting their memories of Gareth. This sense of community is one of the defining elements of Birmingham's music scene and I remember similar outpourings of love when we lost Simon Maragh (Dog Food) in 2019 and Trish Keenan (Broadcast) in 2011. Those two musicians are still fondly remembered as I know Gareth will be in years to come.

The future of the band has yet to be announced. It seems unlikely, to me at least, that Misty's would feel right with a different singer but that of course is for the band members to decide. What I do know is that there are six talented musicians (and one talented alien) who will certainly bounce back with musical projects of some kind. In the meantime, I'm trying to take some comfort in the 25 years' worth of musical legacy that Gareth has left for us.

Howling At The Moon

 

LOW RED MOON - Compañeros

"Compañeros" is the debut release from Low Red Moon, a local collective who describe themselves as "psy-fi Americana". If you've come here hoping to understand what that means, I'm not sure I can help you. Their mysterious world is akin to being in a David Lynch film and despite attending more gigs by them than any other band over the past few years, I am still baffled by their very existence. They are a constantly evolving entity, in both sound and physical manifestation. It started as a live solo project for Texan Brummie Kaytee Thompson-DeWolfe, formerly of Bi-Polar Baby and The Dark Retreat, and she soon recruited a second guitarist. After toying with names such as The Great Giraffe Conspiracy, they settled on Low Red Moon (after a song from Belly's classic debut album) and the band expanded to include bass and drums. Over the next three years the band started to resemble a religious cult with members being assimilated into the ranks without a full understanding of what they were committing themselves to. There can now be anything up to eight people on stage. It's alleged that even your humble reviewer has taken part in a private performance, playing an arcane instrument known as a flexatone, but thankfully no footage of this exists.

The rate of membership growth is such that I'm not certain of the full list of contributors to the album. I believe that alongside Kaytee it features Olly Pilsworth, Andrew Wilson, Paris Moon Fennell, Beth Walsh, Angela Cross, Gary Charles and Sean Thompson-DeWolfe. However Paris has now been replaced by Faisal Rashid on bass for live shows.

The musical style is impossible to describe as it takes in so many influences. The driving guitar is, not surprisingly, reminiscent of Belly but lead single "Fluid" has a pulsing krautrock beat distinct from anything else on the album. Elsewhere there are subtle hints of flute that hark back to Birmingham's classic "we brought our friends" scene of the late '90s and spaghetti western guitar permeates many of the tracks. "Full Wolf Moon" features spoken word from local poet Sean Thompson-DeWolfe, who often opens their live shows with his heartfelt rants on modern life.

The lyrics are suitably oblique, the kind I like best as you can easily apply them to your own situation, but the moon is a common reference and there is a prominent theme of nature throughout. This is no doubt inspired by Kaytee's upbringing on a Navajo reservation. Wolves, mockingbirds and magpies all make an appearance in the songs. Owls and other creatures can be seen in the cover art and in Kaytee's paintings, which can be found in many bars and venues around the city. If you pay close attention at their live shows, you might spot penguins and even giraffes lurking in the fringes.

The album closes with "Doldrums", which encompasses several different styles and slowly mutates in the same way the band themselves have. It starts with gentle guitar and Mazzy Star-like vocals but after seven minutes it has become a prog workout including spooky theremin effects. I see the manifold elements on offer here as a representation of our city's musical diversity. While cities such as Liverpool and Manchester are known for having their own sound, Birmingham has never been defined by one "scene". This makes me feel grateful for the wide range of talent and experimental leanings that surround us. 

"Compañeros" is available to download on Bandcamp now, with a vinyl release coming later in the year.

https://lowredmoonuk.bandcamp.com/album/compa-eros