So I finally got to see the Fun Lovin’ Criminals perform live. Though the fact that I saw them in Navan made it a bit surreal – especially during ‘The King of New York’, when Huey Morgan had the Naaaaavan crowwad chanting ‘Free John Gotti’ over and over again. Did they know Gotti was a gangster and a murderer – and already dead? Did they care? Probably not.
But it was a brilliant gig, a real class act that combined hip-hop, rock, blues, jazz and funk. They first showed up in the nineties with their album ‘Come Find Yourself’, although I didn’t appreciate them (or start paying proper attention to music generally) until later. When I did finally get the album, I was delighted to find there wasn’t a bad track on it. The next record, ‘100% Columbian’ is pretty good too, but didn’t tighten my nuts like the first one.
Apart from the tunes themselves, I loved the way Morgan’s gravelly drawl often told a story with songs like ‘Bombin’ the L’, Methadonia and their show-stopper, ‘Scooby Snacks’ (although ‘Fun Lovin’ Criminal’ is probably still my number one). Observation, humour, atmosphere, all wrapped up in a distinctive voice. His delivery – and guitar playing – was every bit as good on stage. And apart from the drumming, the multi-talented Brian ‘Fast’ Leiser did everything else: synthesiser, bass, trumpet, harmonica and backing vocals, often doing two or three at a time. They were excellent.
Possibly my favourite writer-director team in cinema, the Coen brothers, demonstrated a very different style of storytelling with ‘A Serious Man’, which I got out on DVD the other night. There’s a mix of psychological thriller, black comedy, action and atmosphere in their films that just does it for me every time. And they cross so many genres, without getting stuck in any of them, and without losing that gripping style. I mean, I just wish I could have been there when they pitched ‘Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?’ to the studio. That must have been interesting.
‘A Serious Man’ is a bit of a departure from most of their other stuff – it’s most like ‘The Man Who Wasn’t There’, which is probably my least favourite of their films (it’s still pretty bloody good).
Like that one, ‘A Serious Man’ is a slow-paced, observational piece that is driven almost entirely by character. Much of the film centres around Jewish culture, so I’m sure I didn’t get a lot of the references, and it’s the type of film I have to be in the mood for, but you could just sit there and soak up the gallery of entertaining moments. Films influence my writing at least as much as books, and as ‘the two-headed director’, Ethan and Joel Coen (they both write, direct, produce and normally edit their films) are the kind of creators I’d aspire to be.
And finally, for now, to the oldest style of spinning a yarn, oral storytelling – or at least the type narrated in book form. ‘Here Lies Arthur’, by Philip Reeve, is a retelling of the King Arthur legend. A story within a story, it’s about a cunning storyteller and his young apprentice, and their series of tricks and creative spin (ie, blatant lies) that established one of the world’s most well-known legends, based on the life of a man who was essentially a complete blackguard in a world populated by barbarians, rather than the shiny-armour-suited gentlemen we think were around at the time. Reeve is one of my favourite authors for young adults (or old ones, for that matter) and this book has it all, a gripping story, sophisticated plotting, action (including some pretty unflinching violence), suspense, intrigue, humour, a bit of weirdness and some great characters.
I will have the pleasure of doing an event with Philip Reeve, along with my mate Conor Kostick, in Trinity College next Tuesday. The kids’ event is booked out, but Reeve is doing an interview with Robert Dunbar that evening. If you can, you should check it out.
