Gig Review - Baxter Dury

This review may be coming many months late but Monday nights in Norwich don’t really get much better than this. Having secured tickets to Baxter Dury on the day of the gig, I cycled down my road to pick them up from a slightly sullen mod - something to do with his babysitting arrangements having fallen through. I felt for the guy. Seriously. Skip to pre-drinks, and I'm flicking through my records to find something suitable to put on to see us through until the taxi arrives. I briefly contemplate putting on Baxter's 'Prince Of Tears' again, but opt for ‘New Boots and Panties!!’ by another talented Dury, which I'd acquired a week before but misplaced in a pile and forgotten about... Appropriately, the album artwork exhibits a young, menacing Baxter Dury in a lovely pair of flares. Brilliant. We all agreed that this was a suitable time to give the record its first spin. A passing of the torch, if you like.

We arrive at the venue at 8.45, I walk in with a cheeky swagger, but my happiness is stripped from me when I reach into my pocket to find the tickets and all I find is sweet fuck all. Damn. Oh dear, this may be something to do with the five cans of warm lager I just drank. I then went through the process of checking the fourteen different pockets my jacket had to try retrieve the goods. To quickly clarify, this isn't one of those black and orange Superdry jackets that used to make you super jealous. Not the case. Nothing to see here folks, just a regular denim jacket (I was overreacting). Anyway, as you're reading this Baxter Dury review, you can rightly assume I managed to get myself out of this situation, not through any kind of smooth-talking, I admit, but by barely audible gibberish cascading out the mouth of a sweating, clearly distressed young male. Norwich Arts Centre really is worth a visit, don't even worry about bringing ya tickets.

So we’re in. I go grab a nice cold pint of local pale ale in celebration. Now, if the fact I was sipping on a COLD pint of ale has made you irate, please don't leave! We try not to discriminate here at Slider and the Goose, but just know that you're in good company; the other editor of this blog agrees that all ales, bitters, and stouts should be served at room temperature - like in the olden days. I recommend you check out Sliders write up on -"The Hipster Takeover of Ale's correct serving temperature" (It’s a real page turner)...

The time arrives. The band (minus Baxter) enter the stage to cheers across the crowd. The symmetry of this set up was extremely pleasing I must say. The drummer cracks the first bass drum of the night to the tune of 'Isabel', which was followed by the tight entrance of the band members, they play out the intro long enough for my lucid mind to wonder if the man himself got stuck at French security for smuggling cigarettes and wine and the band thought "Well, if there's anywhere we could get away with playing without him, it would probably be Norwich". Oh man, the band are sounding tight. It's the kind of tight that would even make post-Brexit border control officers proud. Needless to say, the sound technician is welcome round my yard any day.

Eventually Dury cruises on donning a grey pinstripe suit and glass of red wine. The older, yet surprisingly lively, Norfolk crowd roar with delight as he exuberates his fine arrogance. The set was relatively short, but as music reviews say “It was packed with punches". It'd be unfair to single out any song as being the standout; the whole setlist was extremely well rehearsed, each song ending with rapturous applause. During extended cuts, Dury entertained himself using his personal synthesiser to truly emerse the crowd, he even looked bemused with some of the sounds he was conjuring up. I must say, Dury has clearly set himself aside from the common as muck indie bands, creating a completely unique formula by merging sounds from dance, dub, punk and new wave. His comical lyrics and cockney spoken word are given the perfect accompaniment by long term collaborators Rose Elinor Dougall & Madelaine Hart on backing vocals. A fine combination.

Right, I also feel we also have to address Dury's dancing, has anyone else seen this spectacle? I have been recently trying add it to my small repertoire of moves. I like to call it "the inquisitive goose", I'd recommend you search for a video online, then practice in a locked bedroom with the curtains glued tight. Only after a few months will you be able to debut this to your beloved friends and family, it’s a tricky one to get right. Kudos to Dury, he knows what he's doing!

Towards the end of the set, we hear the all too familiar bassline which locks into a deep grove behind the cheers of the crowd. The moment of the night arrives right before (IMO) the funniest lyric in the song - "I'm a great sleeper"...Just think about the audacity of that statement for a second... I'd be way too worried about potentially offending any insomniacs who might be in the room. They all must've been thinking: smug cunt! ...Which he is.

So, the guitar that you'd just remembered has barely played a part up until now, suddenly comes ripping through, working near perfectly alongside the fat bassline. If you're having trouble getting that, just try to imagine a sleek, sort of handsome, sharp, steak knife... A Forge de Laguiole steak knife... The kind of quality steak knife, of which the price seems questionable (or even ridiculous) to most. But not to you. You know exactly how much it's worth. Now imagine next to it a fresh Victoria sponge cake asking to be sliced. Then yeah, just translate that into musical terms (the cake is the bass, the guitar the knife) and Slider's ya Uncle, and Goose is your aunt. Or just listen to the tune I guess, whatever you like.

This review may sound like I have certain feelings towards Baxter Dury, and maybe I do, but that's not the point. This was truly an excellent performance from a band that look and sound like they know what they're doing. I got a chance to see him again at Green Man in August. He played the same set but it certainly satisfied my cravings for more since Norwich Arts Centre.

Slider and the Goose.