The Uncle Devil Show - 'A terrible beauty'

What's the point of having a blog if you don't occasionally communicate something USEFUL?

To that end - here's a review of a great album that you should all go out and buy. The Uncle Devil Show - 'A terrible beauty'.



It's a very poorly kept secret that Justin Currie (ex Del Amitri) has done a few things on the fringe while trying to get his new solo album released. Justin sings about half the songs on the album.

The group all use pseudonyms:
Langton Herring - singing, guitars, keyboards, pipe.
Jason Barr - singing, bass, guitars, keyboards, tyre.
Terence - singing, drums, percussion, model train.
It doesn't matter who sings what - everything on this album is great.

One of the best and easiest to obtain is this album. It's similar in its approach to XTC's venture as The Dukes of Stratosphear. Joyous 60's pop stylee music with an immensely catchy sense of humour.

'Leonardo's Bicycle' starts the album off - a lovely melodic period piece. A bit psychedlic, mentioning winegums and irn bru and rainbow coloured trikes. Silly, catchy and bouncy.

The second track features a Justin vocal - 'Gilbert O'Sullivan' - a homage to the 70's master of misery, describing how friends liked cooler musicians, but how he always plumped for Gilbert because he wrote 'Nothing rhymed'. Layered vocals (Justin's trademark) make this a class track.

"I was in love with Gilbert O'Sullivan
But she was hung up on Cat Stevens and Donovan
So when I had to lump for one of them
I chose Mr O'Sullivan

I was in love with Gilbert O'Sullivan
But she dug the cool jazz of Gerry Mulligan
So if I had to shoot one and fuck the other one
I'd choose Mr O'Sullivan

Gilbert O'Sullivan has everything you could need
If you've got kids to babysit or dogs to feed
And 'cos he sang "Nothing Rhymed"
He'll always be a friend of mine

I could not ever lose Gilbert O'Sullivan
But she loved the skiffle blues of Lonnie Donegan
So when it came the time to pick who I wanted then
I chose Gilbert O'Sullivan"
Priceless!

'Tambourine' is another catchy little song. Acoustic-based and featuring lovely harmonies and horns.

'Bimbo in the limo' is the demented younger brother of 'Drunk in a band' - a fantastic DA style grunge track. From the off, when the bass kicks in, you know this song is going to be mega.

There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
I keep the mirrored windows down so everyone can see
I'm terminally wankered with a poodle on my knee
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me

There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
Cocaine crusted round my nostrils like a sad celebrity
I'm a worthless little nobody from digital TV
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me

Hi everybody I'm your friend
Have you seen my panel game?
"Guess my arsehole", 4 a.m.

There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
I've been crusing round the block all day so all my friends can see
I've got seven hookers rammed in here fucked up on Ecstacy
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
("Is it Norwich?")

There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
With my pants around my knees I'm hanging way out of my tree
And everybody's looking and I know they can't believe
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me

There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
I've got Sabbath on the stereo and smut on the TV
The fridge is full of lager and I'm pissing on the seats
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me

Hi everybody I'm your friend
Have you seen my panel game?
"Guess my arsehole", 4 a.m.

There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
I keep the mirrored windows down so everyone can see
I'm terminally wankered with a poodle on my knee
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me

There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
There's a bimbo in the limo and the bimbo is me
Bimbo
Limo
Bimbo
Me
("Is it King Kong?")

'Plus ça change' is a beautiful, semi-melancholy song about cross dressing, delivered again by Justin.

Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose
The more I hide the more that the truth shows
Undone by a string of pearls

Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose
I stagger along on silver stilettoes
Nothing like a girl

And underneath my clothes I'm naked
And I can't fake it
The way a woman walks the way a lady talks
Plus ça change, plus ça change

Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose
Eyelashes on polish on my toes
But I'm still just a man

Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose
The powder goes on thick where the beard grows
Through like Desperate Dan

And underneath my clothes I'm naked
And I can't fake it
The way a woman walks the way a lady talks
Plus ça change, plus ça change

Sequins and hairpins and bows
The more I put on the more put on it all looks
I know

Underneath my clothes I'm naked
And I can't fake it
The way a woman walks the way a lady talks
Plus ça change, plus ça change

It is probably slightly unfair to make constant comparisons to DelAmitri, but Justin was responsible for much of their identifiable sound. DA fans won't be disappointed by this.

A cover of the Helen Reddy song 'Angie baby' is next and works really nicely.

'She cuts her own fringe' (another Justin vocal and the single from the album) is a great piece of whimsy. Another beautiful tune. Can you guess what it's about from the lyrics? You have to fall in love with this girl.

"She's in a league of her own
She wears cotton wool under her headphones
She keeps her shoes in the fridge
She says to swear at dogs is a sacriliege
And maybe I'm just a sucker for a girl
Who puts pictures of soap over the bathroom door
So she knows when to buy some more

'Cos she cuts her own fringe
And sometimes her sleeve is singed
From cooking her dinner
Dressed in her Saturday things
She cuts her own fringe

She keeps her phone in a tin
So that the ringer sounds like an alien
Taught her canary to sing "Ace of Spades"
And then to trash its cage
She's the kind of girl you would suffer for
As long as she kept making as she slept
That strange little claw
That she hooks up around her jaw

'Cos she cuts her own fringe
And sometimes her sleeve is singed
From cooking her dinner
Dressed in her Saturday things
She cuts her own fringe

And I gave her my heart
She likes it a lot
Says it's the best one she's got

She cuts her own fringe
And sometimes the cuttings cling
Onto her eyebrows and end up afloat in her drink
It's enough to send all those anonymous addicts
Back on the binge
'Cos she cuts her own fringe"

'Strange umbrella' is the closest thing here to the Dukes Of Stratosphear ethos. Very psychedelic indeed!

'Dandelion' is another beautiful Justin vocal. Nice subtle reverb on the voice too (he usually has a dry vocal). I don't usually like songs that are just word games, but this is simply gorgeous. The instrumental backing is out of this world. Even the taped effects work perfectly.

"The dandelion lied about the time
Told me it was one
But when I got there she was gone
The dandelion lied about the time

The love-me-nots must have been a cruel crop
Told me she was mine
But when I got there she was crying
The dandelion lied about the time

The nightingale was telling tales
The stars were kidding on
I thought the signs were right this time
The fuckers done me wrong

The setting sun was putting on an empty kind of show
I should have known my chance was blown
The fuckers told me so

The dandelion lied about the time
I blew and blew
When I was done well time was too
The dandelion lied about the time and she did too"

The next song up, 'Sidelong glances of a pigeon kicker' is the funniest thing I've heard in years and is a wickedly accurate Beatles paraody. Obvious steals from certain songs leap out and nag the listener. Excellent.

"They're the sidelong glances of a pigeon kicker
You'll be gone in a flicker but my toe is so much quicker

When I look at you I see the harm that you can do
All the charm you've been fakin'
While the mess your ass is makin'
Though I try to hide you must be using laser guide
I hear that you've been singing
It's your neck I should be wringing

They're the sidelong glances of a pigeon kicker
You'll be gone in a flicker but my toe is so much quicker

Time for my revenge - peanuts on my window ledge
A swift one to the pecker
With my rolled up Daily Record
And you can fly away, I'll see you again some day
And I'll be more than glad to feed you
There's some cats would love to meet you

Don't get me wrong I sure have a plan
I'll burn you in your bush before I've bird shit
In my hand, in my hand
In my hand

Sidelong glances of a pigeon kicker
You'll be gone in a flicker but my toe is so much quicker

They're the sidelong glances of a pigeon kicker
You'll be gone in a flicker but my toe is even quicker

A bird on the wing is a beautiful thing
With the exception of species who's speciality's faeces
So here's permission to land under the half brick
In my hand, in my hand"

'When Raymond comes around' is a Justin-sung song about the lcal debt collector coming to collect money owed - and other things besides. Humourously violent - a rare thing. Similar to gangster Louigi Faccotti nailing heads to the table in Monty Python.

"When Raymond comes around
We fetch the china down
'Cos Ray brings sunshine everyday
And makes the raindrops drain away
When Raymond comes around

He's got a Gucci jacket
He's got a hitlist smile
He's got a rent-book racket
Come across or lose your first born child

When Raymond comes around
We nail the table down
'Cos if it ain't a happy day
It's toast and beans the doggie way
When Raymond comes around

He's got Jimmy Cagney's swagger
But with Jimmy Saville's eyes
They say he keeps a rusty dagger
Underneath of his Versace flies

When Raymond comes around
Everybody goes to ground
Though you might have the means to pay
He still likes some the dirty way
When Raymond comes around

When Raymond comes around
He holds out his hand like a loaded gun
You shake it and make like you're scared of the cunt

When Raymond comes around
We pull the shutters down
And tie him up with skipping rope
And burn his car and slit his throat
When Raymond comes around"

'I had a drink about you last night' is a slow, building lament from someone who is aching for someone else and drinks to numb the pain. Shared vocals. Beautiful descending bass and strings set the mood. Gorgeous.

"I may be ten foot tall
As brave as all the Tigers in Bengal
My shoulders broad and wide
And seen from space with just the naked eye

I'm calling Superman
To tell him Lois looks like Genghis Khan
I'm fearless through and through
I'll even take a dip in Barrymore's pool

I've never lost a fight
But today I just might
Don't hold me close to the light
I had a drink about you last night

So now I'm running scared
A long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs
I tip-toe round the pain
'Til wood on fur sends splinters to my brain

I've never lost a fight
But today I just might
Don't hold me close to the light
I had a drink about you last night

I had a drink and you swam into my vision
My Babycham and brandy was boiling up
And fizzing with the truth
I had a drink for two
But somebody was missing
'Cos raising up the dead is something
Superman can't do

I've never lost a fight
But today I just might
Don't hold me close to the light
I had a drink about you last night"

I love this record. Recommended.

Amazon.co.uk link to buy.

The amazon.co.uk review reveals more about who the Uncle Devil Show were:
"Del Amitri frontman Justin Currie releases his first album outside of his chart topping Mercury Records group this autumn under the moniker of "The Uncle Devil Show". Justin whose hits with Del Amitri included "Roll To Me" which went Top 10 in the Billboard’s Hot 100 and sold 160,000 copies has formed the concept band with cult Scottish singer-songwriter Kevin McDermott and Simple Minds/Silencers drummer Jim McDermott, having spent 18 months creating an album he considers his best to date. Justin, who uses the pseudonym Jason Barr with The Uncle Devil Show, and whose other hits includes the Top 40 single "Kiss This Thing Goodbye" created the group after growing tired of wet Wednesday rock and corporate designer angst. This is a beautiful record, it's stunning melodies, left-field observation and effortless arrangements never let it dip under the extremely high bar it sets for itself from the off. You are never left in any doubt that these guys are privy to what's under pop's great Corvette bonnet."

APRIL 2007 STOP PRESS - SLADEFEST 2007

March 2007

MARCH 2007:

1st:
The group will now not be playing the remaining three shows that we had lined up at the Bike and Hound, Hyde. Sincere apologies to anyone who may be disappointed by this and also to Amanda, the lovely landlady there, who the group all think is excellent.

2nd:
We arrived at The Boulevard, Wigan to find the layout of the room much improved from how it was before (and it was very good then). Excellent work by the venue to make it even better!!! Tonight was the first of our 'album release' shows. We played all of the songs from the first album in order in the first set and did the same with the new album in the second set. At the end, we threw in a new song for the first time - Turning Japanese, which was originally made famous by The Vapors. We have a couple more new songs lined up to add into the set, after just a little more tweaking. We have also agreed on a couple more songs written by members of the group which will find their way into the set soon.

3rd:
The Royal, Farnworth. A mix up over bookings with a group last week left the punters uncertain if there was going to be a band on there this week and we certainly suffered a low turnout as a result. A shame, because we played a good show and went down really well with those who were there. Thanks very much to our drum roadie Andy for taking photos and also for joining us onstage to play guitar instead of Steve during Sultans of Swing. He didn't play a single bum note. Excellent!!!!

7th:
We have confirmed an afternoon show on SUNDAY APRIL 22nd at St Judes Catholic Club, Poolstock Lane, Worsley Mesnes, Wigan map. This is a fundraiser for the Matthew Appeal for Matthew Titterington who is a little boy currently in hospital undergoing treatment for leukaemia. There will be a small door charge with all the money raised being donated to send him on holiday once he has completed his treatment. ALL OF YOU ARE MOST WELCOME TO ATTEND THIS SHOW!!!!!

8th:
A group rehearsal last night. A couple of new songs to add into the set and 'road test'. Possibly going in at the Lord Rodney. We have a couple more new ones to be working on, which will brighten up the set and surprise a few people.

9th:
The Lord Rodney show.

If anyone is thinking of playing there, don't leave your car outside while you load up (think about the impossibility of that for a moment) or you will get parking tickets like 3 of us did.

The show itself was ok, but we could have done without paying £30.00 each to park for about 12 minutes while we got our gear inside. We will - of course - appeal.

Despite being in bad moods because of the Traffic Gestapos nasty tricks, the show itself was reasonably ok. Col was particularly distracted by what had just happened and was well thrown when we dropped Turning Japanese into the set and lost it completely - we did a sort of short 'radio edit' version of the song. Hmmm. Still good, though.

Thanks to our nice audience, but not to the Cheshire Traffic fuzz.

If you look at the details on this ticket (vehicle reg no details blanked out) it's not even completed fully. So there probably isn't actually an offence to answer.

10th:
What we intend to be our last club gig for some time. A good listening audience, but they were more inclined to stay on their bums than on the dance floor. A bit frustrating when our second spot was deliberately very 'dancey'. Andy made a guest appearance on guitar with us again - in front of a very large audience. He's got some bottle, that lad has!

11th:
Someone actually rang today trying to get hold of The Roadrunners for a bikers gig later this year. They were most put out to find that it can't / won't happen anymore and were prepared to go to a 'very good price indeed' to get the band as a one-off. They would only take The Roadrunners, as it's going to be a big reunion of some sort. Ah well.... these things are sent to try us. If someone wants to use the name and get £500, they need to be a three piece band with two fairly recognisable bald blokes and a supply of incredible volume. That sent me about making a copy of the Roadrunners at Heywood DVD for someone I'd promised a copy to. Some while ago.... oops! Well, it's on it's way now. Intriguing camera work, etc! Ian got all nostalgic watching it.

18th:
A couple of things......

Our gig on Friday at The Fleece, Ashton was just a bit of a success. Thanks very much to the half of Ashton that appeared to pack the pub. We dropped in about 6 new songs and are back there again in May. A slight accident has meant that we are having to call off next weekend's gig at The Avenue, Wigan. The person concerned should be ok for our next gig.

A new look for the website. Hope you like it. Thanks very much to Rachel from Bigger Designs for the help. Keep an eye on new band Unfinished Story , who are in the process of putting demos together at the moment.

20th:
The band went to the jam night at the Eagle and Child, Ashton (every Tuesday, folks!!) and did 5 of our new songs. A nice evening - some of the other people that get up are really talented!

For those of you who wish to look at more of the delightful young lady in the strappy dress, whose photo so beautifully decorates the left margin of some pages of our website - gigs for example - (and perhaps also to start writing proposing marriage) - a quick Google search found her image here. The Google search was for 'girl in the dark'. I haven't looked at the rest of the site.

23rd:
Group rehearsal night again.... two more new songs put together.

28th:
Last night, the group (minus the ailing Colin) went to the jam night at the Eagle and Child in Ashton to gaze lovingly at Howie's band The Incredibles. We played with Cozy on the drums (thank you) and did laid back versions of a number of songs, which inspires us with new evil plans for the next CD. I believe that the pub singer was castrated on the car park afterwards.

29th:
The group has entered for a national battle of the bands style competition and the first heat is at The Walkabout Bar, King St, Wigan this coming Sunday evening. If you can make it, please come down and make some clapping noises between our songs. The event starts at 7pm.

We have a revised setlist for the April and May shows.

30th:
Our last gig of the month was at The Hulton Arms, Bolton and there was an excellent big crowd in - so we had a ball after our rest last weekend and the crowd seemed to love it too. Thanks to everyone for coming and to Andy and Amy for roadieing for us. Tomorrow (Sunday) is the competition in Wigan if anyone can make it.