Idiot Bastard Band - Winter Tour 2012
Going to a chapel does not come easy to me, especially on a Sunday, but I made the effort this week to see The Idiot Bastard Band at their London show.
The Union Chapel was practically full as people eagerly awaited the arrival of The Idiot Bastard Band, those who had seen the band before talked fondly of their memories, and those seeing them for the first time were clearly unsure about what to expect.
It wasn't long before the band; comprised of Ade Edmondson, Phill Jupitus, Neil Innes and Rowland Rivron hit the small stage, which was practically over run with a medley of instruments.
The band is a relatively tight unit, but it's clear that they don't take themselves too seriously. There was plenty of onstage banter between the guys inbetween and during songs. Whether they were performing self-penned tracks or cover versions every song was performed with gusto. Their self-penned songs included a comic ballad about a disastrous support slot on a tour with Madness with vocals performed by Phill Jupitus and Neil's new Mexicana take on the classic love triangle.
It was surprising to find how just how musically and vocally talented both Ade and Phill are; Ade especially proved himself to be a gifted musician and singer. Their set was thoroughly entertaining and provided plenty of laughs, which were both planned and unplanned. The sheer talent in the band was incredible, between them they play everything from the drums to the kazoo and keyboards to mandolins.
Considering that only one of the four guys who make up The Idiot Bastard Band is known for his music, I wasn't expecting much from the quartet. However, to say I was pleasantly surprised would be a huge understatement, these guys were great; funny but also amazingly talented. Sure, there were forgotten lines, and instruments that were not plug in, but the chaos was all part of the fun and they handled the mishaps perfectly, I can't wait to see them again.