A WHIRLIGIG OF GIGS

Ana & The Bonzos

It might seem like an exciting new concept, but Ana & The Bonzos are not an unlikely tribute band dedicated to Adam & The Ants. They are just two of the star attractions we went to see amidst a whirligig of gigs enjoyed during the mad month of March.

First came Ana Gracey performing songs from her critically acclaimed Wicked Games album during a Sunday evening concert at the Pizza Express, Chelsea (March 12). It was a rainy night, but Ana drew an attentive crowd that wined and dined in the jazz club held in the basement of The Pheasantry in Kings Road before the show began. In a relaxed atmosphere, Ana in a floral robe took to the stage backed by her regular group of friends including Peter Lemer (piano), Phil Mulford (double bass) and Billy Thompson (violin), a former member of Barbara Thompson’s Paraphernalia.

They opened with the Sam Smith song ‘Stay With Me’ performed in the jazz style that Ana espoused on the plethora of pop tunes she had selected for her album. ‘Helluva Day’ was a new song however and featured an amazingly intense violin solo from Billy that brought forth not just applause but piecing whistles of approval from the audience. On reading back my notes later, I thought the next number was called ‘Move Your Chair Around’ until I remembered it was a scribbled request from Marilyne my wife, to give her a better view of the stage. A double bass introduction from the fleet fingered Phil led into ‘Cream’ a swinging but funky Ana album selection followed by ‘Safe As Houses’ from Colosseum’s last album Time On Our Side.

Ana sang with emotional power while deploying her three octave range on the Mika classic ‘Grace Kelly’ and ‘Watch Me Now’ was a lot of fun for the audience called upon to clap on the right beats. These paved the way for Ana’s latest single ‘Born To Glitter’ a magical composition performed with great passion and followed by a second set of more Wicked classics.

Hello – it’s Vivian Stanshall’s Birthday Bash

On the other side of town we found a wild party in full swing to celebrate what would have been the late Vivian Stanshall’s 80^th Birthday. It presaged a full concert by a musical ensemble that included former members of the much loved Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, Rodney Slater and ‘Legs’ Larry Smith.

This event (March 23) took place at The Union Chapel, in Islington and was hosted by Snapper Music. It was an opportunity to announce the discovery of Vivian’s personal archive and the release of his two final works. As Snapper’s Ian Crockett explained the former Bonzo Band lead singer’s collection of tapes had survived the house fire that tragically took Vivian’s life in 1995. “Following many years of rumours and mythology about their whereabouts, the tapes were finally recovered in the summer of 2020.”

In collaboration with Vivian’s children Rupert and Silky, Snapper Music has enabled the restoration of the archive, a project beginning with the release of what had been scheduled to be Viv’s final solo albums in the early 1990s. The painstaking work on piecing together incomplete tapes and documents has been carried out by Stanshall expert Michael Livesley and co-producer, multi instrumentalist Andy Frizell who formerly worked with Stanshall and Kevin Ayers.

Michael has also performed with a reunion line up of the Bonzos as well as giving one man versions of  Sir Henry At Rawlinson End the basis of Stanshall’s legendary BBC radio shows and his surreal 1980 film. Michael’s energetic performance as Old Sir Henry climaxed the show that followed the reception. Earlier Rodney Slater, now white haired and unable to play the saxophone, strummed a guitar and sang one of the Bonzo’s most memorable ditties ‘Mr. Slater’s Parrot’ from 1969’s Keynsham album as well as ‘The Cracks Are Showing’ from Vivian’s Teddy Boys Don’t Knit (1981). It was great to hear that old Bonzo favourite ‘Hunting Tigers Out In India-ah!’ and to see Legs Larry being greeted by his adoring fans for a rendition of  ‘Look At Me I’m Wonderful.’

“Thank you SO much” said the super showbiz star of the show, who also paid tribute to their good friend the late Neil Innes. Thank you Bonzos and thank you Ana – you must all take a bow!