Mitch Benn & the Distractions
The Bedford
Balham
29 March 2004

With no opening act, the gathered crowd, relatives, and media types were treated to two 40+ minute sets of Mitch Benn material. A break was needed in the middle to allow people to: 1. breath 2. get more beer. In the intimate setting of the Bedford's theatre in the round, Benn had his band really shine. Many of those in the audience were familiar with the material and sang along (especially the peanut gallery filled up with members of Growing Old Disgracefully, Mitch's charming wife, and other reprobates making quite a ruckus.) Those unfamiliar with his material laughed along with us. The over 80 minutes of music included material from his CD Radio Face, as well as material set to be recorded for his next release. A song that went down particularily well in the G.o.D. gallery was the song about "leather trousers" sung a la Jim Morrison. Mitch wheeled out such classics as 'MacBeth (My Name Is)', my personal fave 'Rock & Roll Hall of Death', and 'Imagine You were Mine.' Proving his un-PC cred, he rolled out 'Cowboy Furher', as well as 'Dead Boyfriend.' As the crowd was finally booted out into the March night air we were still snickering at his genius satire. If you are in the UK, Mitch and his band are not to be missed. Mitch has the potential to be the UK's answer to Tom Lehrer.

Rating: 5/5