Neil Arthur

So... I pitched up at The Arts Club tonight to see the band Creep Show, and promptly had my camera confiscated by the security people... which, needless to say, I was very unhappy about indeed and will doubtless remain disgruntled about for some time!!

Fear not, the camera wasn’t destroyed or anything! I was reunited with it at the end of the night, by which time I’d failed to take a single picture that I was happy with on my phone. Harrumph! 

Anyway, Creep Show are a supergroup of sorts, consisting of the inestimable John Grant (one of my favourite singer/songwriter/performer/human beings) alongside electronic music legend Stephen ‘Mal’ Mallinder (best known for his work with Cabaret Voltaire), Phil Winter (of folktronica heroes Tunng) and the much-respected musician and producer Benge, who has worked with all manner of impressive people.

They were fab. 

I’ve included a rather rubbish Extra picture of John Grant, just to prove I was really there. 

The support act was also top-drawer. A father/son act, featuring Joe Arthur (otherwise known as Kincaid), and his dad, aka synth-pop legend Neil Arthur of Blancmange, the band who recorded one of my favourite cover versions of all time, ABBA’s superb ‘The Day Before You Came’ www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFNs_-LGgQs (the video, rather brilliantly, features ABBA’s very own Agnetha Fältskog, and a heart-melting smile from Neil at the end!). They played a bunch of rather excellent new songs and a great version of Blancmange’s ‘Feel Me’ (“Here comes a love song, there goes the banister!”) which almost made me forget the camera situation! 

Today’s blip of Neil Arthur is the best picture I managed to muster all night.

Grrr... mutter, mutter, mutter!