Cor that was a good one.
Initial signs were troubling. Ticket sales were a bit sluggish compared to February, with Brighton a bit show’d out after a May of the Fringe and The Great Escape, for fans of the arts and artwashing respectively.
But in the end we had a pretty much full room for our usual, unique mix of weirdo alternative comedy and heartbreaking songs.
Headliner Jason did his back in the day before the show – any indie promoter’s nightmare – but was able to perform, and perform brilliantly, from a “sitting down on a nice chair” position.
We had Clearlake fans travelling from Lincoln and beyond to hear these songs performed live for the first time in over a decade. Armed with accordion and electric guitar, Jason was exceptional. Very kindly he had asked me if there were any songs in particular I’d like to hear, and then proceeded to play most of them.
The second Clearlake album – recipient of this infamous “we’ve never been to England” Pitchfork review – is my favourite, a real triumph of melancholy, sense of place and underlying menace.
I’d Like To Hurt You and Just Off The Coast are both beautiful here, and It’s Getting Light Outside – off third album Amber – remains a perfect pop banger, aided by Guy the Sound Guy’s amazing lighting work (a sun seemed to gradually emerge from behind Jason as the song headed to its climax).
Pegg closes the set with an accordion-aided Jumble Sailing, off first album Lido, which leads to a perfect singalong.
At this point the singer tries to escape, but I ask him if he can do an encore, and we get a special treat: a song off the “lost” fourth Clearlake album. He’s vague about the middle eight, but it gives a really good indication of which direction the band was heading – and hope for a belated release if the contractual wranglings can be settled.
Before Jason came many things. In the first half, Rob Duncan, Blank Peng, me slightly killing the mood with a Half Man Half Biscuit cover, and Jamie Mykaela.
Duncan first. It is becoming traditional to open TMKW with a clown, and Rob is one of the finest in the business. His routine was based around three things: leather, repetition, and audience participation. I love him and what he does, and can’t wait to see him do it all again at Next Level Sketch next week.
Then Peng. Blank has amazing jokes, toys constantly with audience expectations, and tried out a punchline about 9/11. A side note: non-white comedians that go down a storm seem to do not quite so well when I put them on in Brighton. For all its queer diversity, it’s a very white city. My solution: continue to book incredible non-white comedians.
My star of the first half was Jamie, though. I booked her on the strength of her instagram aesthetic and the creative company she keeps, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Brilliant songs, beautiful voice, compelling stage presence, and the sweariest little bitch this side of Fuck Town, Arizona. Book her and see her often. Also: sorry for killing the mood somewhat before your set with my rambling goth cover, I was distracted by my co-vocalist having a panic attack and the extremely unusual situation of the show running exactly to time.
Oh yes, The Highchurches. I feel supremely weird about introducing myself, so I got Mr Simon Topping to do it instead, and he was brilliant and funny as always and really I should pay him to be our regular MC.
We did four songs, two from last time (Doris Wu and Joy In The Morning), and two new ones, Even Keel and Hymn for the Ruins, both about the end of the world. We also boasted a new member, in El, on bass.
Martha was hilarious, and we played and sang beautifully. I love these guys, and can’t wait to write more song and play more gigs with them.
I am so happy with our latest member, and we even nearly got Guy the sound guy joining in on flute.
And Jason offered his session musician services for when we try to record these beautiful things, so… watch this space.
The next This Machine Kills Wasps is our spooky Halloween special on October 23rd, in collaboration with Next Level Sketch.
And headlining? Watch this space…
Big thanks to everyone who came along last week. I am extremely honoured that this weird little baby works. Please come to our next show!
jamesofwalsh 