Neil Innes
Mitch Benn & the Distractions
The Bedford, Ballam
Last night saw another wonderful night of silly but clever comedy from a couple of comedy geniuses. Neil Innes (of Monty Python, the Rutles, & Bonzo Dog Doda Band fame) headlined the evening, but Mitch got the place going. This was a return engagment for the pair, a special Christmas show for all those who enjoyed it last time. There was not a spare seat in the house. His backing band, a rather impressive blonde female bassist, who plays & sings rather well, and a female drummer, provide a wonderful rhythm section. Such treats as 'Rock & Roll Hall of Death', 'Macbeth (My Name is)', and 'Liam's Lonely Heart's Club Band' has us wetting ourselves in no time at all. Mitch's Macbeth as Eminem was truly a feat of genius. His frequent Beatles piss-takes led nicely into the Innes part of the show. The nutter, sadly without the two lovely ladies of rhythm, has a CD out called Radio Face. My two guests last night rushed down to the stall and bought the man's CD, getting it signed for good measure. Other targets for Mitch's satire were The Smiths, Elvis, West-End Musicals (with jabs at dim American tourists, Westlife, Lord Lloyd-Webber, and waning TV stars), and interactive TV. The man plays a mean guitar and can sing in almost any style. To add to the pleasure Mitch and his band performed some material destined for his next CD. One such song concerns "the perfect boyfriend" (ie dead) sung by his bassist. There was a song about this bloke who feeds his relatives various types of drugs over an afternoon, one called the 'Hardest Song to Find' about obsessive record collectors, and finally a little ditty about heavy metal stage sets.
Despite Neil being, well Neil, Mitch gave him a very hard act to follow. It was probably a good idea that Neil pinch the band's talents for the rockier few songs at the end of his set (the Rutles stuff), 'Goosestepping Momma', 'I must be in Love', and 'Ego Warriors'(complete with a silly hand sign and pledge). The silly bugger didn't play the one track several of us wanted to hear, that of 'How Sweet to be an Idiot'. This time it was down to his being a bit under the weather due to the flu. He ended his set a bit early, letting Mitch perform a few more songs to see us out. Neill opened his solo set with 'Eye Candy' (about TV), before regaling us with a piss-take on the EURO/Eurovision, an Elton John piss-take, a anti-French song, and a wonderful song called 'Face-mail in the Meet Zone'. Oh yes, and we got to see all this great musical comedy for £5.
Rating 5/5
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