Matt Berry - Alternate review, Duchess, 26 November 2011

Matt Berry, underground hero, start of the Mighty Boosh as Dixon Bainbridge, star of the IT Crowd as the misogynistic Renly and Snuff Box as sometimes womanising…well you get the picture. Most importantly you definitely would. Be him. And in the darkness of the Duchess stand about 150 people, split between the dragged along girlfriends, Snuff Box aficionados and a smattering of casual bystanders.

On the ticket reads Matt Berry but it should reference the band ensemble including the afro wig wearing bass player resembling Polar Bear’s drummer and the unknown guitar here. The songs of Berry are lyrically and musically diverse, influenced by Led Zep, to the blues, musical indie, hints of jazz and the rich orchestral sounds of York’s own son, John Williams. Berry is, as on screen, a commanding stage presence with exceptional banter (see Black Magic guitarist exchange – MB ‘can you conjure up black magic on that thing?’, guitarist plays light music solo only for Berry Matt to announce ‘you’ve made me look like a f!cking c>nt in front of York’. Cue massing cheering).

Stage side with the Berry band.

Most surprisingly of all, he’s actually good. The most reverent of fans may have doubted his music ability to hold a gig outside the sixty second music breakouts on screen, but Berry does with real talent. Some of the songs are as bravado as his characters, yet ‘Woman’ from his new release is a tender lovely ballad that is as heartfelt as it is beautiful. Perhaps the curse of talent to be gifted at comic writing, acting and music, it defies expectation to be great at all three but so he stands. Too few a number appreciate Berry and in the event of an early encore and ludicrous curfew, he’s gone in a swift 40 minute set in a daze of cheers, good music and longing…probably just as he’d intended.

Written at the time.