Misfit City

Society of Imaginary Friends presents:
Yuletide Soiree: Society of Imaginary Friends + Kirsten Morrison + John Glyn + Cian Binchey + Mathew Waterfall Mansford + Beth Jones + Martin Wakefield + Lord Buckley of Hackney + Miracle Rhythm DJ set
Kabaret @ Karamel Restaurant, The Chocolate Factory 2, 4 Coburg Road, Wood Green, London, N22 6UJ, England
Friday 1st December 2017, 8.00pm – information

There’s another Wood Green cornucopia of fringe musicians, cabaret, vegan food and spoken-word left-fieldery from the Society Of Imaginary Friends, and friends; helping to open up December.

It seems to be illegal for the Society to hold one of their Soirees without talky/theatrical/poetic geezers Cian Binchy and Martin Wakefield, so they’re both at this one. Accomplished multi-genre singer and Lene Lovich sidekick Kirsten Morrison (who graced the Soiree last December) returns for another go, backed by classical guitarist John Black and counter-tenor Peter Shipman; as does rootsy singer-songwriter Beth Jones. DJ DJ Miracle Rhythm is also back for the interims and playouts.

 
Saxophonist John Glyn of Republic and X-Ray Spex/Wreckless Eric/PragVEC fame (who performed at the previous Soiree) is back too, with more hornwork and “airing excerpts from his new show that will be toured in Mexico in the new year”; while regular event soundman Matthew Waterfall Mansford is stepping out from behind the board with songs of his own. Yet another returnee is Lord Buckley of Hackney. I’m still trying to work out who’s doing the resurrection of this particular bit of classic beat comedy – it might be a Hackney band called Pted and the Praerie Dogs, who like so many Soiree-ists are hiding somewhere under the internet and laughing at me…

Society of Imaginary Friends are playing too, though if so they don’t appear to be presenting a theme or miniature pop opera on this occasion (previous efforts have included eco-blues sets and song-cycle on the Home Counties or the life of the first voice of the Speaking Clock – this time all they’re saying is “Singing Ringing Pear Tree”…)

As ever, look back over past posts for more impressions of previous SOIF Salons…

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Trapdoor
St Moritz Club, 159 Wardour Street, Soho, London, W1F 8WJ, England
Saturday 2nd December 2017, 7.00pm – information

Sweet-natured Ian Evans has ambled around the fringes of London math-rock, twee-pop and outsider music for a couple of decades now with projects such as chamber/cabaret pop duo Elevenses or his own deeply involved solo releases. He’s an acquired taste for sure – an earnest, gentle man-boy and obsessively sharing polygeek, whose records often sound like erudite tour-guide pilgrimages sweeping around London on foot and by bus: peering about and ticking off the signifiers of secret or obscured history. When he’s not doing this he’s celebrating real ale, the looming culture-jumble of the V&A’s cast courts or cult TV (he’s a particular ‘Doctor Who’ fan), threaded with tales of his own friendships and heartbreaks.

At times, it’s a kind of CBeebies-friendly take on psychogeography, confessional and Zappa-esque conceptual continuity. The music, too, is odd – lo-fi outsider indie with twists of math, prog and folk-rock plus spots of Britpop; the words swarming en masse onto each song like ants storming a bookshelf.

Ian’s latest endeavour, Trapdoor, sees him beefing up his sound a bit while teaming up with bass player Sabrina Amade and drummer Dan Persad. I’m not sure whether he’s named the band after that cheerily gruesome mid’80s monsters-in-a-castle animation, but it wouldn’t surprise me. In recent months, Trapdoor have played a couple of smart community events reflecting Ian’s interests and convictions – the Smart Musicians Mix salon at north London’s Tigersonic Studios, and the Ladies Set event for Girls Rock London, encouraging gender equality in the music business. Now they’re undertaking something a little more mainstream – “a Christmas cheery gig” at the St Moritz Club, “the original ’60s Soho sleaze joint!”. Expect new stuff plus refurbished songs from Ian’s sheaf of solo work. Statues, smashed romance, the Sydney Street siege (and probably Silurians) ahoy…

Tags: Beth Jones, Cian Binchy, Conway Hall (promoter/venue), Ian Evans, John Glyn, Kabaret @ Karamel (event), Kirsten Morrison, London (England), Lord Buckley Of Hackney, Martin Wakefield, Matthew Waterfall Mansford, Maureen Ni Fiann, Society of Imaginary Friends, Society of Imaginary Friends Soiree (event), Tom Rochester, Trapdoor