Arthur Brown has been a unique presence on the British rock scene since 1967, known for his mesmerising stage performances and psychedelic costumes. Sadly, he is no longer able to set his helmet on fire due to modern health and safety rules (bah), but the extreme facepaint and operatic vocals remain.
The fashion getup and stage shows have often overshadowed The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown’s music in the press, but fans of hallucinogenic R&B/soul freakouts know he’s released some of the very best records: the self-titled 1968 debut album is essential, and his work with Kingdom Come (particularly Galactic Zoo Dossier and Journey) is sadly neglected.
The three-piece group he has with him tonight are a real find for Arthur, bringing all the best elements of his varied music career to life with skilful easy. Garage guitars, pounding drums and prog synths whip up a storm as their flamboyant leader’s powerful voice transports us to his Crazy World. After tonight’s performance, you can see why Jimi Hendrix once wanted to start a band with him.
Indeed, Bowie, Kiss, Peter Gabriel, Elton John, Iron Maiden, George Clinton, the Prodigy and Ozzy Osbourne all cite him as an influence, from his banshee wailing vocals to his pioneering theatrical stage concepts, and Alice Cooper has said “Without Arthur Brown, there would be no Alice Cooper.”
It’s difficult to pick a favourite outfit tonight: Sparkling Time Captain, Soul Lizard, God Of Hellfire, or perhaps Glitter Prog Butterfly? There seems to be a costume change between each of the set’s thirteen songs – impressive at any age, let alone 82!
We have to thank Welsh music royalty Alan Jones for bringing us tonight’s show at the Earl Haig Club (a gem of a venue) and DJ Liam Curtin for warming up the crowd with his psych vinyl choices. A brilliant gig – don’t miss it when the God Of Hellfire returns.
The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, The Earl Haig Club, Cardiff, Wed 2 Oct
words and photos BEN POTTER