Rarely off the road since the passing of Ian Dury in 2000, there’s no doubting that among the most lovable, cocky, funny, schoolboy-rude and artful characters from the punk generation are The Blockheads. Now that school boy charm is coming back to Liverpool as The Blockheads come to Eric’s on Friday 13th December.
Ian Dury’s lyrics were a unique combination of poetry, word play, earthy humour and deadly-accurate observations of everyday, British working-class life and Derek Hussey’s ruminations in the band’s new songs keep those themes with an added bite for the 21st century. Hussey is known to the bands followers as Dury’s best friend and minder (memorably singing with Ian and the band in a televised concert from the late 90s). Combined with the Blockheads’ jazz, rock’n’roll, funk, and reggae steamroller sound, Dury’s (and now Hussey’s) vocalals have created a sound that’s hard to pigeon hole and has become its own genre.
An album of new material Same Horse Different Jockey was released by the band on November 23rd 2013 (the 35th anniversary of the release of Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick) off the back of a much talked about on the net video campaign through a popular fan funded campaign on Kickstarter. This scheme along with The Blockheads iconic logo released as an iPhone app in the form of a clock (a nod to the rare wristwatches that Stiff records produced in the late 70s!)
Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (the recent biopic of their erstwhile front man and lyricist Ian Dury) and the musical Reasons To be Cheerful has seen a resurgence in the band’s popularity. Along with some new material you can expect to hear Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick, Wake Up And Make Love With Me, Reasons To Be Cheerful Part 3, What A Waste, Clevor Trevor, Sweet Gene Vincent and many more from the illustrious back catalogue.
The Blockheads are fronted by Derek ‘The Draw’ Hussey; Chaz Jankel, Norman Watt-Roy, John Turnbull and Mick Gallagher still remain from the original band and the current line-up is augmented by John Roberts on drums and a rolling line up of saxophonists that includes Gilad Atzmon, Terry Edwards or Dave Lewis.
Tickets for The Blockheads are available from Eric’s Box office and are priced at £20 in advance.