John Cooper Clarke

The stick-thin, drain-piped, bird’s nest-coiffured punk poet entered to the theme from Dragnet and performed a set where the rhythmic monotone poems were almost incidental to his coherent ramblings. A riff on the guest list and a flurry of one-liners led into tales of bad times in Wales that ended with a lounge singer rendition of ‘April In Powys’.

An hilarious raconteur and inventive ad-libber, it was no surprise to see a persistent heckler humoured then deservedly dispatched to rapturous applause. Terry Pratchett and Jimmy Savile were cleverly lampooned, and the old pro’s intelligence lifted the corniest gags.

Concert Hall, Brighton Dome, 1 November 2012

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