Neil Innes, McCabe’s, April 30, 2010
“The Seventh Python”
If you have ever hummed along to one of the many tunes sprinkled throughout the Monty Python oeuvre, or if you have enjoyed the raucous laughter of the musical “Spamalot” you have benefitted from the eclectic talents of Neil Innes. If you wondered one evening in the late 1970s what happened to the usual shenanigans on Saturday Night Live when a Beatles mockumentary (“The Rutles”) was broadcast, or if you delighted in the anarchic songs of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, that was Innes driving the bus.
He is swinging through America playing a handful of club dates, and Anglophiles of a certain stripe will be out in force. In speaking to him before a gig in New Jersey, Innes proved as feisty as ever. He loves the ‘wild west’ of the internet age, where anyone can seek an audience without the ‘constant burglary’ of the record companies. He is pleased that ‘the spirit of Woody Guthrie is still alive.’
We spoke fondly of his prior LA engagements, playing the Troubadour as part of a British/LA Festival, and he readily recalled the first time I saw him perform: the Kings Head in Islington, London with Marty Feldman in the audience. Innes is a very punny guy; his canon is replete with clever wordplay. At McCabe’s lucky punters will be listening for his tales of inspiring The Beatles during “Magical Mystery Tour,” touring with Monty Python all amongst a solid set-list of grin-inducing songs.
For more information, visit www.neilinnes-on-tour.com
Recent Comments