‘I am the god of hellfire, and I bring you…!’ The people of Sale, Manchester, were treated to a visual/aural experience this Friday evening. Arthur Brown, rock legend of the mesmerizing 60s track Fire, is back on tour with The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, ‘A Human Perspective.’ In the early 70s, as part of the group Kingdom Come, this was the tour they wanted to bring to audiences but lacked the technology. Now they have it in droves. Fans were not disappointed.
For the first half of the set, with every song came a costume change, each one as flamboyant and spellbinding as the next. His performance was theatrical, with amazing, eye-catching sequin kaftans and alluring masks, but he still has the powerful, soulful voice to back it up. The band were on form, and at times, the air of Deep Purple and blues filled the venue.
With psychedelic visuals, he danced and twirled with the vigour of a man far younger than his 79 years singing track after track (Nature, Nightmare, to name two). Then, a surprise came as he nipped off-stage and came back wearing the famous fire helmet with flames ablaze for a rousing rendition of Fire. He still has it!
After a 30-minute break, the second set was mellower, with no costume changes, but still just as inspiring. Once the set finished and the band went off, the audience chanted ‘Sing Love Is The Spirit, Arthur’, which he did acapella, furthermore displaying his vocal talents.
His new album, Long Long Road, is out on 24 June, his 80th birthday, on Magnetic Eye Records. His tour continues:
11th June – Leeds City Varieties
25 June – Bush Hall, London.
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