Primus & The Chocolate Factory!

One of those mad evenings I sometimes sign myself up too!

Many months ago my brother said do you fancy seeing Primus in Birmingham? I was like .. erm .. okay. I mean I do like Primus, and have done since my school years. I wouldn't say they were one of my all time favourite bands but the first couple of albums are belters.

If you've never heard of them, their sound is entirely built around the bass wizardry of their enigmatic front man Les Claypool. He has a very unique vocal style .. a sort of red neck Kermit the Frog!

So my brother got us tickets. So off I trundled at three o clock this afternoon to drive to Ross on Wye to pick my brother up on the way to the Birmigham O2 arena. I was already wondering how the hell I had got myself signed up to this long evening.

I approached the A449 at the Coldra to see to my absolute horror that it was closed due to an accident. This is the second time this month this road has cursed me! I got stuck in a traffic jam on it taking my mum to my brothers a few weeks back! I had to drive down to Chepstow and up the Wye valley. I've never done that road before, it was stunningly beautiful. It calmed my nerves at least.

It was quick pitstop at my brothers and then straight on to Birmingham City Centre. I don't have very fond memories of that since I had a bit of day going there a few months back! At least I had the Sat Nav this time!

We got there in good time and I could finally relax.

The new Primus album is a concept album based on Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, and the Gene Wilder film version of it. I find it a bit hard going to listen too, so I was a little worried about the set list as I knew they were playing it in its entirety. 

Again, my nerves were calmed when they opened with some of my favourite Primus songs from the very early day. It is always a worry when you see these bands for the first time, that you catch them on a tour that the play all the obscure stuff. I really needn't have worried. With the exception of one song, I couldn't have hand picked a better set list of classics! The sound quality in the arena was one of the best, if not the best I have heard. We had opted to go and stand up in the gods, so Andrew could rest his post hernia op pains.

An hour of classics ended and the curtain came down, I knew the Chocolate Factory bit was coming up next. I had no idea what to expect.

What I got was forty five minutes of unadulterated bonkers! The whole stage set was transformed into Wonkaland! We had Oompa Loompas, we had giant mushrooms and candy canes. We had a crowd, which by the forth rendition of the Oompa Loompa song were all bending their knees in time to the two giant Oompa Loompas on stage, we were in hysterics up on the balcony.

The band were joined on stage by a cellist and a xylophonist. The two solos and the duelling between them and Les Claypool was worth the admission price alone. It was breathtaking! They absolutely nailed the performance of the album, and I am sure half of us in attendance will be getting the original film out this weekend (and not the awful Tim Burton one!)

We finished with Too Many Puppies, and absolutely spellbinding version of Southbound Pachyderm and Here Come The Bastards.

I was so glad I made all the effort to get there. It will live in memory for a long time!

It was then the small matter of the journey back to Ross on Wye and South Wales. It was far less uneventful and I got back home at one thirty in the morning, so not too bad!

I suspect it will be a quiet day tomorrow!

The set list for for those who like such things ...

Set 1
Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers
Last Salmon Man
Wynona's Big Brown Beaver
Over the Falls
My Name Is Mud
Jerry Was a Race Car Driver
Over the Electric Grapevine

Set 2
Hello Wonkites
Candy Man
(Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley cover)
Cheer Up, Charlie
(Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley cover)
Golden Ticket
(Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley cover)
Lermaninoff
Pure Imagination
(Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley cover)
Oompa Augustus
Semi-Wondrous Boat Ride
Oompa Violet
I Want It Now
(Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley cover)
Oompa Veruca
Wonkamobile, Wonkavision
(Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley cover)
Oompa TV
Farewell Wonkites

Encore
Too Many Puppies
Southbound Pachyderm
Here Come the Bastards