Matt Berry at The Masque, Liverpool, 23.11.10

MATT BERRY
The Masque

Described by the press release as 'A dark night of music and comedy', expectations may have been that this was one for the fans and that if you're not already a follower of the undeniable comic talents of MATT BERRY then you probably won't enjoy his music. However, this wasn't the case at all because as it turns out, when Matt Berry is involved music combined with comedy a equals a well chosen night out. Apart from from being one of Britain's foremost comic talents appearing in the likes of The Mighty Boosh and the IT Crowd before you even get to the genius of Garth Marenghi's Darkplace (the man was Dr Lucien Sanchez), Berry is renowned first and foremost for that distinctive baritone.

Entering the stage with his support band donning novelty 'scouser' wigs (presumably not worn for the Birmingham gig the night before), Berry immediately purveys that larger-than-life persona of the multi-talented performer that he is. With a swagger and permanent faux-serious expression, he has undoubted presence and was quick to engage the crowd with a few ready quips, such as the quite surreal 'Liverpooool! I'm in Liverpool' and wasted no time in getting into their groove musically. They opened with the quite morbid The Hangman, a part jazz instrumental, part spoken word introduction to the strange and surreal themes of Berry's work. Throughout many of his songs there are common themes of lost love and heartbreak, yet surprisingly the outcome is a strangely warming black comedy.

Showcasing his new album Witchazel, Berry also threw in a few crowd-pleasers, presumably with his comedy fan audience in mind. Mid-set, the insanely catchy theme to his left-field and largely overlooked TV comedy Snuffbox came out. That he actually wrote, scored and composed the music for the entire series himself, demonstrates that there are many strings to his bow. And it is within Love Is A Fool that it becomes apparent that Berry has genuine songwriting ability. The lines 'How can I love if it's plastic, to live on my own just seems tragic' make an inspired rhyming couplet which finds its way into the foremost conscious mind and stays there for hours after the show.

Whether Berry and his band currently have the volume of material to pursue this musical venture further, is another matter. At times they show glimpses of limitations within, despite all the fun being had. The question is, if the amusing lyrics and comic musical themes weren't there, would the music alone stand up to scrutiny? Tracks such as Hot Dog and Jet Setter from first album Opium, suggest they would. Here Berry has created atmospheric, haunting, music which is intriguingly upbeat at the same time. The new songs from Witchazel though, don't perhaps quite manage to explore any new ground. An Awakening and Accident At A Harvest Festival meander along promisingly but don't have much of the wit or allure of his earlier work. The album as a whole whilst agreeable and admirable for its musicianship, does come across as slightly one-dimensional and at it's worst easily forgettable. This night was worth it alone though for One Track Lover possibly Berry's finest work. A brilliantly funny spoof of a song, stemming from his role as Lucien Sanchez in Channel 4's Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, it is '80s soft rock containing the sublime line 'She's cool, like ice, cold to the touch and it isn't very nice' performed in the show as a rap by Richard Ayoade. The song not only proves Berry's worth as a songwriter and comedian but also as a highly talented musician. He's also an entertainer and one whose shift from the periphery of British comedy to the centre has really been long overdue.
Pete Robinson