Nihilist paradise

Bill Bailey at the Pleasance Theatre, 14 July 2006

A booming but friendly, next-door neighbourly kinda voice echoes into the overheated sub-tropical arena as Bill Bailey, comedian-extraordinaire, conservationist and Klingon-impersonator, conducts his own introduction. Before us in the Pleasance Theatre ( a mid-size fringe theatre with communal bench seating a bit like a minature House of Commons), is an empty stage apart from a lonely keyboard (the playing of which by Bailey always reminds me of Ross in Friends). Topics covered during the course of the evening run from Nihilism, to his love of wildlife conservation, to a universally applauded hatred for James Blunt (who doesn't hate James Blunt?).

On wildlife, Bailey recalls a recent trip to the Brazilian Amazon to try to track down jaguars (the animal not the car) for a Sky One documentary. As part of the programme he had to have his photo taken with a captive jaguar- but unfortunately received dangerously fallatious advice on how to approach the wild cat ('always approach from the front, hang on, no, NEVER approach from the front'). I guess you had to be there...

For me, the funniest part of the show involved the forementioned keyboard-playing and a childhood song which my youngest sister absolutely loved as a wee toddler, but with a subtle re-working of the lyrics-

The nihilists on the bus go 'what's the point? what's the point? what's the point?'
The nihilist on the bus go 'what's the point? Life is essentially meaningless'

Genius. Although it was wasted on some members of the audience - especially two would be shagbuddies sitting next to my mate vodkaslut, who, it was reported to me later, were laughing rather awkwardly in the fashion of two very eager to impress but uncomprehending 'younguns'.

Maybe BB should consider subtitles.

Laugh a minute, maybe he's not. Literate, esoteric, philosophical, meditative. Sure. Food for the mind/the antithesis of the bawdy antics offered by Russell Brand and his ilk (not that I'm not partial). Definately. Someone with a beard and extraneous body hair such as BB should be philosophical I think (tonight he tells a funny story about how once, when he wanted to get a tattoo on his chest, he was told that he really shouldn't 'unless if was of something hiding in a thicket'; v. funny). GSG.

Charge! GSG meets GSB, sort of

The Divine Comedy at Somerset House, 6 July 2006

What a night. Ginsoakedgirl comes almost face to face with the ginsoakedboy that is The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon. Yes, the skinniest, palest man in rock is back in the house and just as intoxicated and albino-like as ever. Thank heaven. I couldn't imagine him all sober and thick around the middle due to having been eating all the pies a la Carl Barat in his 'oh what shall I do next' phase. Mmm. Well tonight the DC are marvellous under a wondrous canopy of full-on sunshine and with the backing of a devoted crowd of admirers. Plus me (I don't know how devoted I am to anyone truth be told). So out come the hits- three songs in and its National Express followed by Generation Sex and later on as an encore we're blessed with The Perfect Lovesong, one of my favourites. Sadly a request for Gin Soaked Boy is treated with utter derision by an affable Neil; 'YOU MUST BE JOKING' was the exact response I believe. In any case, we are all happy and well. "We're all friends here, aren't we?" He asks, rather coquestishly, " We all love each other, don't we?".

Amid the nostalgia, new songs Diva Lady and To Die a Virgin also score a big hit. Taking the success of this performance and the response, only one question needs an answer and that is: why oh why are the NME so negative about new album Victory of the Comic Muse? Come on now, I now that yous all like to be cutting edge and stuff, but give the Dublin lad a break. It may not be the Hall of Fame treasure trove that we're used to from the Fin-de-Siecle and Regeneration years; maybe it doesn't strike you in the nether regions with riproaring heartbreak or elation in quite the same way, but it still deserves respect. Someone who's been so prolific over the years should be appreciated a bit more. You can't knock someone who wrote the theme tune for Father Ted now surely?

Still loving the Divine Comedy. For sure.