This afternoon I headed into Bath. First on my list of errands was a visit to the nice folks at Mr. B’s who had obtained the new Liz Hand and Matt Ruff novels for me. Then later it was on to an event at the Rondo Theatre that my friend Marjorie had alerted me to.

The star of the evening was a young fellow called Mitch Benn whom I understand that Gollancz have signed up for a novel or two. Well I waited for a couple of hours for him to read from the book, but all he did was sing. Apparently the book isn’t out yet. I shall have words with Messrs Spanton & Weir. Fancy sending the poor lad out on tour before the book is published.

Having said that, he was quite good at the music. He’d even brought a band with him. Being a musical satirist involves aping other people’s acts as well as writing amusing lyrics, and Benn & his band displayed a fine range of styles. There was one song that could easily have been written by Flanders & Swann, and two that were pure John Cooper Clarke. I’ve also developed a soft spot for “Rasta Queen Mother” because, well, reggae and making fun of the royals, you can’t go wrong really.

Sadly all of the YouTube material I’ve looked at has been pretty poor quality compared to a live gig with the band. Recordings from Benn’s radio show appear to have canned laughter added, and a lot of it is done solo. The band makes a big difference, even though there are only two of them. I was particularly impressed with Kirsty Newton who just oozes personality on stage. She has a fabulous voice too. I can’t understand why she’s not a big star.

Anyway, it was a fun evening. Mitch Benn and the Distractions. If they happen to be playing near you, go see them.