VINNY PECULIAR has been around for a while, quietly gathering fans and plaudits with his idiosyncratic brand of pop. Now, with a couple of former Smiths in tow, the ascent of one of Britain’s quirkier lyricists might just have stepped up a gear.
Before he can begin tonight though, the gauntlet of oddity is confidently flung down by the other acts on the bill.
I’ve nothing but respect for CURSOR MINOR, an eccentric young chap who takes to the stage armed only with a microphone and a laptop and proceeds to bop about alone up there, singing over his own strain of electronic weirdo pop. It’s original, amusing and the sort of thing that could potentially go somewhere; either way he’s got a lot more balls than me. So too has new romantic caricature GARY LE STRANGE. This self-titled ‘bionic lord of pop’ is a lot funnier than most stand ups, and his goofy lyrics and, quite frankly, incredible dance moves have the whole place in stitches before the first song is through.
So, Mr Peculiar has some work to do. Luckily, his bittersweet observations on life in an off-key world fully justify his place at the top of the bill.
The musical foundation for Vinny Peculiar’s sharp wit is now provided by a genuinely excellent rhythm section. Mike Joyce looks absurdly young behind his kit and plays as enthusiastically as ever, whilst Andy Rourke is the epitome of old-Manchester cool; all dark glasses and flak jackets, with an everlasting Camel Light tucked between the strings on the headstock of his bass.
Vinny Peculiar is a kookily charismatic frontman with an eye for detail and an ear for a tune. ‘Jesus Stole My Girlfriend’ from the 2002 LP ‘Ironing the Soul’ is memorable, as are 'Confessions Of A Sperm Donor' and 'Replica Shirt' from the last record, ‘Growing Up With Vinny Peculiar’.
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Presumably Joyce and Rourke have played a bigger part in the formulation of new material and their influence certainly seems to grow with its introduction. Vinny subs Stratocaster for acoustic for ‘Dirty Old Man’, an unhurried song, complemented by gentle keyboards and somewhat reminiscent of the Stones.
Songs that rely heavily on lyrics sometimes don’t seem to work quite so well live; there are too many sights and (unclear) sounds to distract the onlooker. But Vinny Peculiar’s tunes do not suffer this fate and are all the while helped along by a singer displaying a poise found somewhere between Bowie and Stipe and interspersed, occasionally, with a dandy touch of Bolan swagger. ‘Man About The House’, another new track and another stand out, displays these characteristics as well as any other; its engaging chorus making it one of the best received songs of the whole night.
Towards the end, there’s a discernible twinkle in Vinny’s eye. He seems satisfied as this night of entertaining weirdness draws to a close and he steps down to peddle a few cds ‘for petrol money’. If there’s any justice, he won’t have to do that for much longer. After all, it’s a peculiar world, and all the better for it.
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