{"id":58136,"date":"2019-12-10T23:40:20","date_gmt":"2019-12-10T23:40:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/?p=58136"},"modified":"2019-12-10T23:40:20","modified_gmt":"2019-12-10T23:40:20","slug":"good-good-night-babybird-live-and-hilarious-at-londons-100-club","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2019\/12\/good-good-night-babybird-live-and-hilarious-at-londons-100-club\/","title":{"rendered":"GOOD GOOD NIGHT – Babybird Live And Hilarious At London’s 100 Club"},"content":{"rendered":"

A first proper album in 21 years, deserves a proper tour and so EP\u2019s Matt<\/strong> Catchpole <\/strong>(Words) and Sam Wells<\/strong> (Pictures) find themselves in the bowels of London\u2019s 100 Club<\/strong> to witness the live return of Babybird<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Stephen Jones<\/strong> and his accomplices shuffle onto the famous stage and we\u2019re barely a song in before the banter kicks off.<\/p>\n

Grateful the place is full, despite \u201cno publicity\u201d, the frontman is nonetheless perplexed that not everybody’s got to their feet.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see there are some people sat down, are you disabled?\u2019 Jones inquires in his Sheffield burr.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really said I wouldn\u2019t talk tonight,\u201d he apologises. \u201cI like singing, I don\u2019t like talking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Well you could have fooled us, because tonight is all about audience engagement.<\/p>\n

If All Men Are Evil<\/em><\/strong> is dedicated to \u201cMein Fuhrer, Morrissey<\/strong>,\u201d Jones going on to recount a bizarre encounter with the Pope of Mope.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was stood behind Morrissey and a male partner in a pet shop and he bought 600lb of bird seed – that\u2019s a true story, I swear.<\/p>\n

\u201cJohnny Marr<\/strong> hangs around a similar area and he wears very tight, sparkly shorts – that\u2019s The Smiths<\/strong> for you in a couple of seconds.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Stephen
‘You can dance to this – I wouldn’t – but you can.’ Picture by Sam Wells<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Next Jones goes on to imply the tour is being sponsored by Aldi –<\/strong> \u201chow the fuck do you get four birds into a roast?\u201d he ponders, before launching into a beefed up version of Cornershop<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The excellent Drug Time<\/em><\/strong> – \u201cYou can dance to this – I wouldn\u2019t – but you can,” gets the crowd moving, before Jones takes a brief foray in politics and current affairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs anyone here Scottish? You\u2019ve had Sturgeon, you\u2019ve had Salmond, what\u2019s next?\u201d he asks, with genuine bewilderment.<\/p>\n

Jeremy Corbyn<\/strong> and the Tories also get a slating as the night wears on and I’ll leave you to guess which song prompted a reference to Prince Andrew<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI killed myself once,\u201d Jones remarks by way of intro to Failed Suicide Club<\/em><\/strong>, before the charming If You\u2019ll Be Mine<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Rather than showcase material from new album Photosynthesis <\/strong><\/em>\u00a0– <\/strong><\/em>the set list features a career retrospective of the band\u2019s best loved songs.<\/p>\n

Not a bad move when you’ve also got a\u00a0compilation album Happy, Stupid Nothing<\/strong><\/em> to promote in the run up to Christmas.<\/p>\n

\u201cJohnny played guitar on this – he\u2019s on the wall over there,\u201d Jones says, nodding to a snap of Johnny Depp<\/strong> with Alice Cooper <\/strong>in the Hollywood Vampires<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

As Jones explains in a recent EP interview<\/a><\/span><\/strong>, Depp a long-time fan and ally, did indeed perform on Unloveable<\/em><\/strong>, also directing the video and helping to finance the Ex-Maniac<\/strong><\/em> album.<\/p>\n

\"Danny
‘If you’ll Be Mine’ Jones and bassist Danny Lowe – Picture by Sam Wells<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Jones follows up with an anecdote about performing The F-Word<\/em><\/strong> \u201con the National Lottery<\/strong> with Lulu<\/strong> – that’s not a joke either!”.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a great version of In The Place of Love<\/em><\/strong>, before Jones <\/strong>briefly puts on his salesman\u2019s hat\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people think I stopped in 1996, but go on Bandcamp<\/strong>,\u201d he says. \u201cNo not Mein Kampf<\/em><\/strong>,\u201d he scolds ,\u201cMy website.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSing along you Cockney cunts!,\u201d he urges, before announcing he\u2019s beginning to flag and in need of a brandy.<\/p>\n

Duly refreshed, courtesy of a devoted acolyte in the crowd, he then turns his attention to some of the more hirsute members of the audience,<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are quite a lot people with beards in, like you sir, Jeff Bridges?\u201d he says, pointing to someone down the front \u201c…and you madam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Out Of Sight<\/em><\/strong> and Eyes In The Back Of My Head<\/em><\/strong> get a well-deserved airing – before Bad Old Man <\/em><\/strong>– one of Jones\u2019 more serious and affecting songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cNumber 31 in the top 40 with the word Paedophile,\u201d he says proudly, \u201cAre you still having a good time despite the lyrical content?\u201d<\/p>\n

Described variously as a millstone and a demon in interviews, the band\u2019s biggest hit You\u2019re Gorgeous <\/em><\/strong>is quite deliberately and ruthlessly murdered in the encore.<\/p>\n

This slideshow requires JavaScript.<\/p>

<\/div>\n

\u201cThis is the worst version of You\u2019re Gorgeous<\/em> you\u2019re ever gonna see,\u201d Jones says proudly. \u201cIt was shit when it first came out and this is even fucking worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another hit Goodnight<\/em><\/strong> is more faithfully rendered, before a moving singalong version of Take Me Back<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was written before my kids were born, but it\u2019s about all children everywhere,\u201d Jones says, before taking a final bow.<\/p>\n

After a recent heart scare, it\u2019s a pleasure to see him on such fine form.<\/p>\n

\u201cI apologise if I demean our songs with my between-song banter,\u201d he remarks at one point, but, as he’s no doubt aware, the opposite is true.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a long time since I\u2019ve seen a performer actually make the effort to entertain and amuse, rather than earnestly delivering their songs, eyes firmly fixed on the floor.<\/p>\n

At times the songs seem almost incidental, but the band Luke Scott <\/strong>(guitar),\u00a0Danny Lowe <\/strong>(bass) and Robert Gregory <\/strong>(drums) – are very much on their game.<\/p>\n

The music – faster, harder and rockier than on the record – is conveyed with real intent.<\/p>\n

Amidst all the cynicism and acid wit, there\u2019s a real warmth to Jones and tonight he has this 100 Club crowd in the palm of his hand.<\/p>\n

In the unlikely event he should ever tire of music, a career in stand-up surely awaits.<\/p>\n