October 2016 – upcoming London gigs – Mr Bowler’s ‘Music to be Murdered By’ at Crazy Coqs (30th-31st)

Here’s something for a London Halloween. In all honesty, I’m not sure what it is yet. I’ll try to work it out as we go along.

Mr Bowler presents:
‘Music To Be Murdered By’
The Crazy Coqs @ Brasserie Zedel, 20 Sherwood Street, Soho, London, W1F 7ED, England
Sunday 30th & Monday 31st October 2016 (4.00pm & 7.00pm Sunday, 7.00pm Monday) – information

Multi-media music and dance team Mr Bowler are bringing a “sexy, slick, seductive and thought-provoking” show to the Zedel’s glamorous Art Deco basement just off Piccadilly Circus, promising their audience “a treat for both their ears and eyes” and “a thirst for comedic murderous thoughts”.

I do know that this is not the first time that they’ve done this and gotten away with it.

I know that it involves “lights out”. I know that it’s named after a macabre easy-listening album which Alfred Hitchcock put out towards the end of the ’50s, and that Mr Bowler somehow dug up the old Master of Suspense to narrate the show (more likely via the edit suite than the ouija board).

I know that ‘Music To Be Murdered By’ is intensely choreographed, working around a close-to-the-bone male/female dynamic and reversal of power; that the score is “classical” and the mood “seductive”. I also know that there are original songs written and performed by DriscAL, the dark-cabaret/slashing-rock crossover duo of James O’Driscoll and Alexia Leontiou-McAvoy (whose ‘People Conversation Occupation’ album sounds like a little like Shirley Bassey marshalling The Cramps into grand kitchen-sink drama, and who might be tugging the show towards its apparent flipside, ‘Music To Be Haunted By’).

Within Bowlerdom, Alexia doubles as Mrs Boa (or Mrs Bower), who might be the troupe’s dark mascot, their frontwoman or possibly their dominatrix. To be honest, this is where things get a little murky.

Other than what’s above, I know nothing.

Let’s face it, I don’t know what’s in there. I’m out of clues. We’re going down into that cellar blind.

Well, there’s one more thing. Here’s a lengthy snippet of the Bowlered hordes in action. That will give us some idea of their aesthetic… or when and how they’re going to strike.

Tags: Alexia Leontiou-McAvoy, Crazy Coqs (event), dark cabaret, DriscAL, James O'Driscoll, London (England), Mr Bowler