Evil Scarecrow / Rock City / Nottingham
If this is what being abducted by intergalactic metalhead aliens is like, then count me in for the next visitation.
This was my first time seeing Evil Scarecrow, but have been listening to them for a few years, and it truly was a gig unlike any other….. in a very good way. Because every gig has giant inflatable unicorns, demon drummers, inflatable ninjas, white sheet ghosts and actual real life ninjas on stage, playing ‘catch the fly’ with the audience with 20 foot long chopsticks…… don’t they ? And then there’s the moment you turn round to find someone sailing across the crowd in an inflatable dingy…. Of course there is….. ! I guess you could describe it as musical lunacy lol.
But….. Evil Scarecrow are a visual treat and an absolute riot live !!!!
The band consists of Dr Hell (Guitar and vocals), Kraven Morrdeth (Bass), Ringmaster Monty Blitzfist (Drums), and they are joined by recent recruits Alice Babylon (keyboards) and Count Gravedïga (guitars) following the departure of Brother Pain & Princess Luxury.
The new members of the band fit in really well especially Count Gravedïga who has a brilliant stage presence. The makeup is brilliant and his imposing stature strutting around like a UK version of Wolfgang Doyle von Frankenstein…… but Count Gravedïga actually smiles 😊
We start off with heavyweight track Way to Die from 2018’s album Chapter IV: Antartarctica” which has a real Death Metal start, heavy and dark but with a quite choral almost Ghost like chorus. This is followed by Skulls of Our Enemies from the same album, and the crowd are chanting “skulls, skulls, skulls”. This one contains one of my favourite parody lyrics of all with the line “We wear the leather and the spiky things” …… lol – Manowar brought crashing down to earth !
Not too far into the set, we get new track Master of the Dojo new song Master of The Dojo, as the band are joined on stage by two ninjas along with a huge inflatable karate kid, and Dr Hell asks if anyone in the audience still owns a DVD player…. The ninjas shortly hand out ridiculously large chopsticks into the crowd as the track starts, then holding up prompt cards for the audience to sing along to the chorus. Late in the track a giant fly is hoisted up for the audience member to try and catch, being rewarded with a DVD for their efforts !
At some point the giant inflatable unicorns are booted off the stage into the crowd, and they are bounced around the auditorium with enthusiasm, frequently landing in the pit, making life awkward for the stewards with their size and shape.
In the middle of the set we get fan favourite Robototron and puppet robots burst out of a pair of fake speakers. As the band do the Robot dance; arms out moving in a jerky square pattern to the beat….. it’s incredible to turn and see the whole audience doing the same. The insane lyrics are screamed out at incredible pace. I have no idea how Dr Hell doesn’t fall over the words. They’re like the ultimate tongue-twister, and I take my hat off to you sir:
“I am now a gladiator fighting other robot-kind
entertaining humans at the techno-colosseum 9
undefeated, battle-worn I am hunting Shatner for all time
My battle-dog chiwawa, choose a wah-wah, chews a wawawa
emperor William Shatner and Godzilla asked me who I was
I am husband to a broken fembot, blinking cursor for a son
and I will have my vengence until Cylon says the day is done
dismembered him with robot claw, behold I am robototron”
This is followed by Polterghost with as you would expect a white sheet ghost floating round the stage. It’s a special night as the band welcome back onto the stage for one last time Brother Pain and Princess Luxury and we get the track The Ballad of Brother Pain and a dingy ride round the crowd.
The final two tracks are Hurricanado which is a thrash like track, but with a wonderful haunting refrain. But what could come last ? There is only one choice really, as Crabulon rings out loud. From the Gallactic Hunt album from 2014. I don’t think there was one person here tonight who didn’t know what to do as the heavy beats pounded out they raised their crab pincers into the air as one, before scuttling back and forth sideways like Dr Zoidberg from Futurama. It is just so ludicrous, its amazing !
And that’s it…… silence, no more mayhem ! You kinda end an Evil Scarecrow show wanting the mischief to just keep on going and spill out onto the streets spreading joy and laughter. It would be so easy to simply describe Evil Scarecrow as a metal parody band, a comic sideshow, but they really are far more than that. First and foremost, they are talented musicians and the music is catchy and enjoyable, and they are also incredible showmen (and women) and entertainers.
The great thing about Evil Scarecrow is they bring fun into live music and bag loads of smiles in a way not many do. It’s amazing at the end of the night to see the utter happiness spill out onto the dark streets. And after all, that’s what music should be about isn’t it…. Making you feel great ?!?!
Long may the evil overlord Crabulon reign……
Set List
Way To Die
Skulls Of Our Enemies
Morbid Witch
Master of the Dojo
Last Battle of the Unicorns
Robototron
Polterghost
Ashes
Space Dementia
The Ballad Of Brother Pain
Hurricanado
Crabulon
In support we were entertained by Andrew O’Neill; writer, musician and award winning comic. Andrew is a member of Victoriana obsessed anarcho-punk band The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Noting, who have a cult following somewhat like Evil Scarecrows. Andrew has supported the likes of the legendary god-like bass player Les Claypool and even the Kaiser Chiefs !
His distinctive voice and alternative credentials have set him apart and allowed him to develop a unique place in the comedy world.
I have to apologise to Andrew here, because this review will be just crap. Primarily because I was falling around laughing so much I basically forgot to make any notes. Mind you, in a way, what better review can you have for a comic ?!?!
Andrew has an anarchic style, often edgy and manic in it’s approach, darting around, changing subject in an instant. It’s this approach which I loved so much.
The set started with Andrew taking the register for Evil Scarecrow, making sure the crowd were up for a laugh and would shout loud through the set, having got the formalities out of the way the book was tossed to the side and we dived right into in a part monologue / song about dogs, the next I knew we were reminiscing about the old Cadbury Flake adverts.
The highlight of the set for me was a piece about the greatest Bond theme Goldfinger by John Barry and sung by Shirley Bassey. The first verse contains one of the best lines in any song…. “Such a cold finger, beckons you to enter his web of sin”………. “But don’t go in” the sort of line that would improve any song……
Such as House of the Rising Sun by the Animals “There is a house way down in New Orleans, They call the Rising Sun, And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy But don’t go in
Or even
“Jim’ll Fix it For You…… But don’t go in”
I really enjoyed the set and the audience did too. It was so different to have a comedy support for a metal act, and it worked really well. I’d love to see a longer set one day from Andrew, and next time I promise to take some notes and not laugh as much !
