Matt Berry- Man of Many Talents

Tonight heralds the comeback of comedy show The It Crowd and with it the return of Matt Berry as psychotic sex deviant and corporate head honcho Douglas Reynholm. What has this got to do with music? Well, in addition to being an actor, Matt Berry is also a musician. Around a year ago he performed a gig at Glasgow King Tut's to a rapturous reception, laying down some funkadelic beats and synth-heavy grooves. In terms of sheer entertainment it was probably one of the best I've been to, and while there were plenty of comic moments, the music could stand-up on merit alone. I talked to Mr Berry before his gig, and I've posted the finished interview below. It's a year old but hopefully still of interest, particularly with the It Crowd returning to our screens! In the interview Matt mentions that he plans to release a new album called Witch-hazel but it's yet to surface. However, a quick perusal of his myspace page indicates that the album is 'coming soon' and features a rather delightful track from it called 'Take My Hand'. Hopefully it'll see the light of day soon, but in the meantime enjoy the interview!

There’s something disarming about the first time you speak to Matt Berry. That rich, booming, dramatic baritone he displays on ‘The IT Crowd’ is conspicuous by its absence. Instead there is a soft, laconic North London accent. Lounging on a settee in the backstage area of Glasgow King Tut’s, the actor is the definition of self-assured composure. Not only is he a fast-rising comic talent, but also an increasingly popular musician. Later this evening Berry and his band will play to a rapt audience, but for now he is happy to talk.

Matt Berry is something of a rarity these days; an actor who also turns his hand to music. In doing so he joins an elite group which includes such diverse names as Denis Waterman, Steven Segal, and William Shatner. Indeed, Shatner’s version of the Elton John classic ‘Rocket Man’ is so bizarre it has to be heard to be believed. Berry, however, is dismissive of the Star Trek legend’s talents. “I don’t think he covered that song with the intention of being funny” he says. “I think he thought that was good. Now I think he realises he can make money out of it so he sort of plays along.”

Berry is familiar to most for his portrayal of Douglas Reynholm in The IT Crowd, but he first appeared on TV screens in the cult hit ‘Garth Marenghi’s Dark Place’. Berry played the part of actor Todd Rivers, who himself played the part of Dr. Lucien Sanchez, a charming doctor who has a habit of losing lip-synch. Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace was essentially a show within a show. Mathew Holness played horror writer Garth Marenghi, who penned the script for Darkplace, a show from the 80s that was so ‘ahead of its time’ that it was withdrawn by Channel Four before its first episode was aired.

During the show there are frequent cuts to Garth giving commentary on various scenes. They often include his character Dr. Rick Dagless, who has to combine his fight against the forces of darkness with the day-to-day demands of running a modern hospital. While Darkplace didn’t attract huge audiences, it became revered amongst those who did tune in. Word-of-mouth spread, and in October 2006 Channel Four repeated the show, whilst simultaneously releasing it on DVD. Darkplace is close to Berry’s heart, but while he is delighted with its rise to prominence, he wasn’t surprised by its lack of initial success.

“It’s like Only Fools and Horses” he says. “The first series of that did absolutely nothing. I’m not saying anything I’ve done is as good as Only Fools and Horses, but when something’s completely different people don’t know what to think. If you’ve come back from a day at work and just want to sit down and watch something which makes you laugh immediately, then you’ll watch someone like Catherine Tate. You don’t need to use your brain, you just sit there and enjoy it. But if there’s a concept behind the comedy then only a certain number of people are going to be interested.”

However, Berry is slightly reticent when asked whether Darkplace was genuinely ahead of its time. “Well, I don’t know” he says, “But I am really proud of it, because we weren’t told what we could and couldn’t do. We were all unknown then so Channel Four just left us to it. I think they just thought- ‘If it catches on we’ll look like geniuses. If it doesn’t- fuck it, just forget about it.’ Because it didn’t come back for a second series and it didn’t get that many viewers, they just wiped their hands of it.”

After Darkplace Berry played the part of sinister villain Dixon Bainbridge in ‘The Mighty Boosh’, but left after the first series. Since then the show has garnered strong viewing figures and much critical acclaim. However, Berry has found mainstream success of his own in The IT Crowd alongside his old Darkplace cohort Richard Ayoade.

A third series of the show is due to start filming in March. For both men it’s a far cry from their offbeat beginnings. Indeed, with viewing figures of four million for the second series, there is no doubting The IT Crowd’s mass appeal. “When you compare it to the things Rich and I did before, you couldn’t get more mainstream” Berry admits. However he is quick to point out that the show itself is not typical comedy fare. “It’s written by Graham Lenehin, so the comedy’s never going to be that broad with him involved. He did Father Ted, which I love. I love Graham as well, he’s such a nice guy.”

Berry entered the show in the second series as Douglas Reynholm, the son of Denholm Reynholm. Douglas takes over Reynholm Industries when his father commits suicide after a scandal involving the company’s pension scheme. Denholm was played in the first series by notorious satirist Chris Morris, and Berry admits to being slightly daunted by the prospect of stepping into his shoes.

“Everyone must have been thinking ‘Who the fuck is this guy, I thought it was going to be Chris Morris’” he says. “But you can’t let it worry you, you’ve just got to do your thing and do it as best as you can.” While he concedes that taking on the role was “scary”, Berry is remarkably frank about his lack of reverence for Morris.

“I don’t hero-worship any comic to be honest. I never have.” he states. “I don’t go- ‘Oh man, it’s him, shit, what am I going to say’ I don’t really care enough about the genre. I was more concerned about the fact that the audience was looking forward to seeing Chris. Y’know, how fucked off would they be when he died and they get the guy from Darkplace instead?”

He needn’t have worried. Berry has been embraced by The IT Crowd’s audience and was nominated for Best Male Newcomer at the 2007 Comedy Awards. While he lost out on to James Cordon from ‘Gavin and Stacey’ for that particular award, there’s no doubt Berry is in the ascendancy as a comic actor.

However, while being better known for his TV work, he is adamant that his first love is music. In 2005 he released his second album ‘Opium’, the belated follow-up to 1995’s “Jackpot”. Berry describes Opium as a spoken-word concept album about “the horrors of the city.” He is unwilling to elaborate much on these sketchy details, but says the album is semi-autobiographical.

“When you’re writing certain things happen to you which give your songs similar themes” explains Berry. “For me there were two or three large themes that affected most songs.” When it comes to identifying what these themes are, Berry is intriguingly vague. “Just degradation” he says. “Over-doing things. Horrible things.” It would seem Berry is no stranger to the libertine tendencies he often portrays on screen.

In addition to recording and performing live, Berry was able to combine his musical and comedic talents in the show ‘Snuff Box’. He wrote and starred in the show with his friend Rich Fulcher, and took it upon himself to write all the music. “I loved it because it was quite quick” he says. “I cheekily used one of the songs from Opium as the theme tune and did a variation on that for the whole show. The new songs I wrote came together quickly as well, because I wrote them all with a particular scene in mind.”

Set in a ‘gentleman’s club for hangmen’, Snuff Box aired on BBC Three in 2006. While it was not to everyone’s taste, Berry says the BBC have commissioned Fulcher and himself to write another show. “They’ll be more of a narrative this time” he says. “We’re not going to be hangmen anymore but they’ll be a similar dynamic between us”

Berry’s solo musical endeavours also continue next year with the release of a new album called ‘Witch-hazel.’ “It’s ninety per cent written” he says. “This time it’s going to be about the horrors of the countryside."

The title of the album refers to Witch-hazel oil, which Berry used as a child to get rid of spots. “It’s an extract from the plant Witch-hazel which you put on your face” he explains. “I always thought it sounded really creepy. But it worked for me, to be honest.” So was Matt Berry an acne-scarred teen? “Well…as much as any kid is at that age” he responds hesitantly.

There was no plan to go into acting in his youth. “I did fine art when I was at college” he recounts. “I got bored of that and then I was in some bands. But a mate of mine was acting and there were a lot of girls involved, so I decided to give it a go. I thought the best way to be a good actor would be to do stand-up.”

With that ambition Berry started performing at an Islington pub called the Hen and Chicken. “I used to play these really horrible rude, childish songs because I wanted to keep the music going” he says. It was there that Berry met his future Darkplace collaborators Matt Holness and Richard Ayoade, as well as Noel and Julian from the Mighty Boosh.

While he has come far from those obscure beginnings, Berry harbours no desire to make the jump to mainstream TV. “It depends, if I go and lose all my money or whatever then I guess I’ll have to” he muses. “You’ve got to be sensible I guess. But I wouldn’t do anything I’d be embarrassed of. You want to die knowing you’ve done decent stuff.”

Compromises have been made however. Most notably, Berry lent his voice to ‘George the Volcano’ in the ads for Evian mineral water. “ I needed some money to buy my first flat” he explains. “It was only my voice! I wasn’t like I was holding the bottle of water and saying- ‘drink this’.”

It’s clear that, while voiceovers are a means to an end, Berry is more motivated by creative satisfaction than commercial gain. “The most important thing is to stick to your guns” he says. “It’s about doing the thing that really makes you laugh as opposed to seeing what the comedy trends are. I think it shines through if you mean what you’re doing.”

Later this evening Berry takes the King Tut’s stage with a sleazy swagger. The relaxed demeanour of before is replaced with Douglas Reynholm’s cocksure arrogance as he greets fans with that distinctive booming voice. Judging by the reaction, they’re pleased to see him. Matt Berry may be an accomplished musician, but he shouldn’t give up the acting just yet.

Smashing!

If you're a fan of alt-rock legends the Smashing Pumpkins they you may be interested to know that they've released a live DVD called 'If All Goes Wrong' which features a documentary about the band's reunion, as well as concert footage from the band's residency in San Francisco. Looks like Corgan is milking this reunion for all it's worth: not content with releasing a shoddy album (Zeitgeist) and a pointless EP (American Gothic) he's now cashing in on a DVD which, by looking at the tracklisting, is not exactly an essential purchase. But hey, make up your own mind, here it is...

01 The Rose March *
02 Peace + Love *
03 99 Floors *
04 Superchrist
05 Lucky 13
06 Starla
07 Death From Above
08 The Crying Tree of Mercury
09 Winterlong
10 Heavy Metal Machine
11 Untitled
12 No Surrender *
13 Gossamer *
14 Zeitgeist

*previously unreleased

Hmmm, looks like there's quite a lot of new songs on there. I suppose that's cool if you actually like any of the new stuff , but personally I think it's a pale shadow of what Corgan's capable of. In any case, it seems like the band are still touring relentlessly and in all fairness they put on a pretty awesome show when I saw them at the SECC in February. It lasted about 2 and a half hours (probably the longest gig I've ever been to) and the setlist was basically a 'Greatest Hits' with a few new songs thrown in. At the end of the show there was also a hilariously rambling rant from Billy, during which he took pot shots at Linkin Park(?) as well as comparing the SECC to a car manufacturing plant (pretty accurate).

There is one new Pumpkin song I've heard that sounds pretty badass, but unfortunately it seems the only way you can hear it is if you buy the new Guitar Hero game. Anyway, here's some live footage of G.L.O.W. Check out that evil sounding bassline!


If you want to relive the good ol' days there's a cool live version of 'Starla' from Pisces Iscariot on their myspace

Democracy Comes To China...

So, it seems like the impossible might actually happen. After years of fervent speculation, canceled release dates, line-up changes and dodgy ginger-cornrow hairstyles, Guns and Roses are going to release Chinese Democracy. Well, maybe it would be more accurate to say that Axl Rose is going to release Chinese Democracy, as it's his 'Perfectionism' which means that this is the first G'N R release for 15 years. I suppose the big question is, does anyone care ? Well, we're going to find out on November 23.

Chinese Democracy has been a running joke for years now, so that fact it actually has a set release date feels a little surreal. Nonetheless, I can't help being intrigued. I'm a G'N R fan, and while I'm not expecting an album of the calibre of 'Appetite for Destruction' I haven't written off Axl just yet. He's one of rock's great eccentrics, and from the snippets of new material that I've heard he can still hold a tune. While there's every chance Chinese Democracy will be a self-indulgent mess, I'm hopeful there might be at lease some flashes of brilliance...

Stereophonics

Let's face it, the last thing you should do if you want to make your music blog seem cool and edgy is write about the Stereophonics! Despite this, there's no denying the band's enduring popularity and they continue to sell out arenas across the country.
The Welsh rockers have released their best-of album 'A Decade in the Sun' this week, so it's seems like an appropriate juncture to look back on their career. They were one of the first bands I got into, and in my opinion their first two albums are absolutely blinding. Trouble is, their third effort 'Just Enough Education to Perform' sounded like it was from a different band. Sure, Kelly Jones' nasal whine was present and correct, but the invigorating rawness of their sound had been replaced by something more polished, mature, and lifeless.

I think the line at the time was that the Stereophonics had grown-up, and sales showed that the record buying public approved. I remember reading in the press that Kelly Jones felt the album was vastly superior to the first two, and even confessed to being slightly embarrassed by the songs from the first album. That seemed strange to me, as Jones was already a more than accomplished songwriter on 'Word Gets Round'. His lyrics were finely crafted reflections on small-town Welsh life and they often had a world-weary quality which belied his youth.

After releasing 'JEEP' the bands popularity continued to grow, with all three of their subsequent albums topping the UK charts. On the whole their efforts have left me cold, although I have to admit to being fond of their smash hit Dakota from 2005's 'Sex, Violence, Language, Other'. The thing is, I'm sure Jones is still capable of writing the kind of classic record their earlier two albums promised. There's no doubt the band have firmly established themselves as one of the most commercially successful in the UK, so maybe now there's less pressure to write Black Crows-aping, radio-friendly fodder.

'You're My Star' is one of two new tracks the band have recorded for their best of, and it's not half band. Sure, it'll keep the masses happy, but it also displays a warmth and sincerity that has been missing from the band's material for a while. Or maybe I'm just getting old!

Either way, it'll be interesting to see what Jones and co. come up with in the next decade....

Rival Schools!

Back in May, one of my all time favorite bands Rival Schools made their return to the live arena and played an awe-inspiring gig at King Tut's. Their one and only album-'United by Fate' was released in 2001, and won them many fans before they parted ways in 2003.

Well, the band are back together and writing new material and hopefully, despite the extended hiatus, they can win over more fans with a new record!

Check out my review of the King Tut's gig on Real Buzz!

Ryan Adams in Edinburgh

Edinburgh's new Picture House will be the venue for Ryan Adams' band The Cardinals tomorrow night. The new album 'Cardinology' is forthcoming, and tracks like Magik and Fix It sound steller already. It seems that the cardinals are more of a proper band these days, instead of just backing musicians, and in recent interviews Adams has been keen to point out that they write together as a group. However the word is that Adams will continue to make solo records as well as Cardinals records- it'll be interesting to see how the two differ.

Adams does have a reputation for being an erratic live performer at times, but there's no doubting that the man's talent and charisma is hard to beat if he's on a good night. Here's hoping!

As a taster, here's some footage of new Cardinals track 'Fix It'....

Chillis Singer Gets His Own TV Show!

Red Hot Chilli Peppers singer Antony Keidis is to get his own show on US channel HBO.
Based on Keidis' autobiography Scar Tissue, the show will focus on Keidis formative years with his father Spider, who was the top drug dealer on the LA music scene.

As a Chillis fan, and a fan of HBO shows like Six Feet Under, I'll be interested to see how this one turns out- apparently, it's going to be an "offbeat comedy"! I've not read his book, but I do know that Keidis did have a pretty crazy childhood so I'm sure they'll be plenty of material to work with.

Manics Reveal New Album Details

The Manic Street Preachers have revealed that unused lyrics penned by Richey Edwards will be used for their next album. According to Nicky Wire, all of the album's songs will use lyrics Richey had written before his disappearance. He said: "It finally feels like the right time to use them."

The album will be recorded on analogue without any digital technology by legendary Nirvana producer Steve Albini and Wire hopes it will be released next spring.

Aidan Moffat- agony uncle?

For those of you who haven't already become aware of this gem, you've got to check out Aidan Moffat's agony aunt column on The Quietis. It turns out that the former Arab Strap man has a talent for dispensing sage advice to those who are having trouble in their love life. I tell ya, it's a real education!

Pelle Carlberg

...is a Sweedish singer-songwriter who has released an excellent album called 'The Lilac Time'. If your a Belle and Sebastian fan or just a fan of twee pop in general then you'll love it! Heck, even if that sort of thing isn't your cup of tea you might like it anyway. After all, quality songwriting is quality songwriting, and this guy's lyrics always bring a smile to my face. Oh yeah, and just in case you were worried your Sweedish is rusty, Pelle sings in English!

I reviewed the album for Is this music? a couple of months back. Check it out!