Packed into the hot upstairs at the Marlborough, dozens of people waited almost an hour for Professor Elemental to take to the stage. And when he did, resplendent in safari costume, it was only for a few minutes before introducing Rosi Lalor, a Brighton-based folk singer. Her songs are well-constructed, pretty and traditional, delivered by a soulful voice comparable to Laura Marling and Rozi Plain. But it's not what the audience was expecting and seemed out of place at a rowdy, comedic hip-hop night.
Next, Sarah Angliss was introduced. This was when the show turned into something a bit more peculiar: with help from a mechanical crow named Edgar Allan, a nightmarish singing ventriloquist dummy, and fellow musical maestro Susi O'Neill, Angliss creates an eerie, amazing spectacle. Using theremins and saws to craft otherworldly songs and unsettling soliloquies whilst clad in a revealing ball-gown and hiking sandals, Angliss was unpredictable and brilliant. If War Of The Worlds is ever to be remade, here's the director.
Eventually it was the turn of Professor Elemental. With over a million views on Youtube for some of his songs, the audience knew what they were in for and eagerly awaited it. More a character than a musician, his British caricature is witty and fun. Clearly intelligent and quick-thinking, bBetween songs he touched on the Olympics, Brighton and the Jubilee. Hit songs Brown Cup Of Joy and Fighting Trousers were well-received, as was a wholly improvised ditty using words chosen by the front row. These were fun, clever songs with as much in common with a comedy as a musical performance.
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