June #7: Gig of the Year?

My gig of the year? Well, Justin Currie (and The Pallbearers) at Holmfirth Picturedrome on Sunday the 28th of May is likely to be my only gig this year, so I think we can probably call that.

Justin and his former band, Del Amitri, divide opinion in the blogosphere. I never quite understand why, because, despite enjoying a fair bit of chart success in the late 80s and early 90s, their lyrical content is mature, thoughtful - and at times, pretty damned dark. And Justin's songwriting has got even darker since he went solo, ramping up the implicit misanthropy of Nothing Ever Happens to Swiftian proportions on the glorious No, Surrender (which has now firmly replaced Nothing... in his set list). Best use of a comma in a song title ever. (For some reason, this track is split into two halves on youtube. The second half is here if you're interested.) Apparently, Justin describes his solo output as "suicide in a saucy shirt", which is pretty apt, if you ask me.

Anyway, Justin recently released his fourth solo album to absolutely zero fanfare - if I hadn't seen he was touring and decided to investigate whether or not there was a record to go with it, I think it would have passed me by completely. I should have checked out his website, which opens with the exhortation to "Buy my record before you die." and describes our hero thus: "Attention-seeking desperado punting inoffensive balladry". Frankly, it is the most entertaining artist website I have ever visited, including wry blog posts about every stop on the tour (Holmfirth here) and even a Complaints section. Here's on of the songs from the new record, This Is My Kingdom Now. Try not to hate it.

7. Justin Currie - Crybabies