Witty, theatrical and musically spellbinding, Matt Berry’s live shows are always an invigorating journey.
Given Berry’s reputation as a showman, you can expect a journey into a world that’s both beautiful and surreal.
There will inevitably be surprises from the boy raised in Bromham: Perhaps unique renditions of classic songs, freeform jam sessions, extra special guests or orchestral stage invasions… anything is possible in the world of Mr Berry as you'll find if you check in with him at Bedford Esquires on Monday night (June 6).
Matt Berry was always convinced that, should he be lucky enough to avoid getting a ‘normal’ job, he would be a musician.
His life would follow a certain path which, whilst not obviously attractive to most, would have seen him be ‘in a number of bands that would get dropped by the record company.’.
So far it hasn’t quite turned out like that at all.
The arrival of his second album, ‘Kill The Wolf’ confirms this and, given the positive reaction to its predecessor, 2011’s ‘Witchazel’, it is unlikely his prediction will be coming true any time soon.
Third album ‘Witchazel’ announced Berry as a writer of some distinction, with MOJO praising an album ‘coming from a place of real eccentricity and imagination’, The Guardian finding the whole thing ‘genuinely impressive’,The Times declaring Matt a ‘multi-instrumental pysch-folk genius’ and Q summing it up neatly for the newcomers as ‘the sound of the Fleet Foxes had they grown up within earshot of the M25’.Matt has since released two further studio albums to great acclaim. There aren't many musicians who play nearly everything on their releases (save for drums, sax and clarinet) and record it all in their home studio, inviting guests like Mark Morris from The Bluetones and Everything Everything's James Robert Shaw to collaborate.
But music isn't the only string to Matt's bow, so to speak, and you may know Him from his TV roles in Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, The Mighty Boosh, The IT Crowd or Toast of London.
He wrote music for the BBC 2 Steve Coogan comedy Saxondale and composed the theme song for the Channel 4 sketch show Blunder too. He's talented, accomplished and fast-working, it seems.
Support comes from the wonderful Big Nothing, and tickets are £13.50 advance from: http://www.seetickets.com/event/matt-berry-the-maypoles/bedford-esquires/979280
