Matt Berry (The IT Crowd) + Mark Morriss (The Bluetones), Whelans Fri July 29th

whelanslive

Whelanslive are proud to present two very special solo performances from….

Matt Berry (The IT Crowd) (solo performance)
Mark Morriss (The Bluetones) (solo performance)
Whelans
July 29th 2011
Tickets €14 plus booking fee available from WAV Tickets [Lo-Call 1890 200 078], Tickets.ie & Ticketmaster.

MATT BERRY

“Witchazel is enchanting, awash with delicate, twinkling melodies, its soaring trumpets...pastel sweeps of guitar and oboe.. and crafty soul-funk inflections genuinely impressive..” The Guardian

“..a meaningful and wondrous work..” Dusted Magazine

Witchazel, the debut album proper of renowned comedian Matt Berry was released in March 2011 to great critical acclaim but this was by no means Berry’s first excursion into the musical outer-reaches. Berry already has two limited releases under his belt – ‘Opium’ and ‘Jackpot’ and also composed the music for the surreally magnificent comedy shows Snuff Box & Saxondalenot to mention his rock opera AD/BC which Berry co-wrote with Richard Ayoade. In short, Berry has musical pedigree and a body of work that would make seasoned performers blush.

Recorded almost entirely in his front room & partly inspired by Richard Adams’ Watership Down, Witchazel is a freaky voyage into the heart of the countryside which will most certainly strike a chord with anyone with room in their heart for British psychedelia & folk and even the most casual listen will reveal that this album was a labour of love for Berry, pure and simple.

Veering between spooked folk laments (‘Accident At A Harvest Festival’), space rock tapestries (eight minute epic ‘The Pheasant’) and Donovan-esque pop (‘Look In My Book’), it’s quite simply a stunning record; the sort of woodland fantasia Fleet Foxes would make had they grown up in within earshot of the M25. If the massed mellotrons, fruity Hammond and prog-rock inflections makes it feel like a lost classic you’ve found in the racks of your favourite second hand record shop, it’s deliberate. Anyone still thinking ‘Witchazel’ has a whiff of indulgence, meanwhile, should be directed to the brilliant, Todd Rundgren-esque ‘Take My Hand’. Is there anyone out there making complex pop as smart and heartfelt as this?

Looking back, Matt Berry wouldn’t have had it any other way. If his highly successful career as an actor/comedian/radio DJ hadn’t sent him on a different trajectory, he wouldn’t be where he is today

Check out Matt’s video for Take My Hand, the first single taken from Witchazel, an equally inspiring & heartbreaking tale of love between an old man and what appears to be the grandson of the robot from Fritz Lang’s Metropolis

http://youtu.be/Rdqu-HObUbo
http://www.myspace.com/mattberrysmusic

MARK MORRISS (The Bluetones)

“Gorgeous pop gems. Like lounging outside on a summers day” NME


“Effortlessly Melodic” Mojo


Bluetones frontman Mark Morriss has received widespread & much-deserved acclaim for his solo album Memory Muscle and delivers a brilliant & often blistering acoustic set.

In advance of this Autumn’s farewell tour with The Bluetones, frontman Mark is heading out on a solo acoustic tour, playing songs off his album Memory Muscle with a few classic Bluetones tracks thrown in for good measure. With his mix of impassioned vocals and between-song banter, Mark’s solo show must not be missed! Getting his hands dirty with his own set of songs has been an inspiring experience for Morriss who started trying them out acoustically at open-mic nights in London way back in 2004: “ I’d just turn up with my guitar, play five or six songs, along with everyone else. I didn’t want any special favours, and just enjoyed the experience of stripping things right back down.”

http://www.myspace.com/markmorrissmusic

whelanslive

This Friday!

stimpson

Excellent.

I hope he plays One Track Lover.

Birneybau

Was a fantastic gig.

Started off with an unexpected set by Pugwash, Bluetones heavy set by Mark Morriss and ended with a great set by Matt Berry culminating with a duet of 'Slight Return'.

I left happy anyway!

Oh yeah, he played 'One Track Lover' : )

stimpson

We bumped into the guys after the gig in the smoking area. Really nice lads - were more than happy to chat and have the crack. They were beating off the fanny with a stick.

Adiaga 2

Was at this on friday. Agree, Pugwash was a very nice surprise. That Thomas Walsh is some talent. The crowd were far too noisy during Mark Morriss's set though - spoiled it a bit for me. They were a bit better for Matt Berry and nice to see he took no sh1t when they started chatting away again. Don't know why some people go to these things. First time in Whelans since they added that extension to the left - nice way to ruin a great live venue.