Click here to submit a local event to our events database

EDITOR'S CHOICE NEWS Sub-postmasters warn more closures could be on the way Kingston author backs campaign to phase out Sats tests Public warned not to approach missing man Car fire in Purley AFC WIMBLEDON Brown to axe Dons heroes CRYSTAL PALACE NEWS Palace player ratings v Bristol City COMPETITIONS A sweet deal with Caramel and Hotel Chocolat Win Sweeney Todd DVD and shaver ON THIS DAY On this day... VOTE What should Boris Johnson's priorities be during his first 100 days in office? Improving public transport Tackling crime Getting rid of the congestion zone Increasing affordable housing GET OUR NEWS BY E-MAIL Just register

Most read Comments 1 Sub-postmasters warn more closures could be on the way 2 Kingston author backs campaign to phase out Sats tests 3 Public warned not to approach missing man 4 Palace player ratings v Bristol City 5 Warnock angered as Palace lose 6 Whitney wows crowd at Battersea charity gig 7 Flats plan is a bad idea 8 Car fire in Purley 9 Quins sign Tongan international up 10 Tennis ace held for 'date rape' Today | 7 Days 1 Transport booze ban to start in June 2 Boris in charge 3 Boris unveils alcohol ban plan 4 Train vandals sentenced 5 Schoolboys threatened with expulsion for last day pranks 6 One post office saved, 37 to go 7 Croydon is getting safer says borough commander 8 BNP member: 'I'm here to stay' 9 Trains hit by lightning 10 Boris to unveil mayoral programme

Comment

When Ian Dury died of liver cancer in 2000, the music world lost one of its most charismatic and unique frontmen.

Together with his band, the Blockheads, Dury made only occasional forays into the charts, but it is testament to their outstanding musical and lyrical talent they are still regarded as a legendary rock n roll band.

And the Blockheads have embarked on another tour, including a date at Camberley Theatre this Saturday, after spending a couple of years discovering that a life without Dury shouldn't necessarily mean a life without music (and that doesn't include session recording). But how on earth do you replace Dury? Meet Derek the Draw.

"Derek used to look after Ian in early 90s," says keyboardist and Dury's co-writer Mick Gallagher, "Derek drove him about, made sure he got to the gigs ok, so when Ian died we wanted to give him a job. When we went back out on the road, John Turnbull, Blockheads guitarist did the singing and Derek was shaking a tambourine about and doing backing vocals.

"Then we had him sing on some of the simpler songs like Clever Trever and now he's doing most of the singing and writing the lyrics. It's been a steep learning curve.

"Derek has that out-and-out cockney thing, he picked up lot of Ian's attitude to life and they came from the same area, but what definitely doesn't do is pretend or try to be Ian."

A far more appropriate method of replacing a rock legend than what many promoters and agents in mind who, says John, had the gall to seriously suggest getting "someone with a cockney accent, preferably with a limp." Which is insulting to the point of being actually quite funny.

The band were born of a staunch working class ideology and were synonymous with the pub rock' scene that centred round Camden and Islington, but the boys are acting their age these days. Mick continues: "We've given up playing in pubs, we could play Rhythm Stick ad infinitum to people who are there just getting drunk, but we don't enjoy playing those places.

"With this theatre tour, people are sitting down so we can do songs like There Ain't Half Been Some Clever Bastards - ones we wouldn't normally play.

"People our age, we're rock n roller, but we don't wnat to go to a festival or a sticky club we just want to have an early dinner, be entertained and go home at half ten."

Despite this happy slip into middle age-dom, the Blockheads' last album was called Where's The Party - released in 2004 - and was a belter. So how is life songwriting without Dury's evokative and amusing lyrics to depend on?

"It took a bit of work but we pulled it round," says Mick, "there was a big hole without Ian but it has become a different thing. He was very much in control of everything and the band was the spokes - he was the hub, but we're all the hub now. We're like a little cottage industry.

"He could be very stubborn, it was like a marriage in that you get very close and have the squabbles, but the creativity was what held it all together."

As well as the Camberley Theatre gig is a special concert at Camden's Electric Ballroom, which will feature original saxophone man Davey Payne for (officially) the first time in 10 years, and Phill Jupitus will also appear.

The Blockheads; Saturday, April 19, 7.30pm, Camberley Theatre, Knoll Road, Camberley, GU15 3SY, £16.50/£14.50, call 01276 707600 or visit camberleytheatre.biz

4:40pm Thursday 17th April 2008

Print

Email this

Comment

Add your comment

Name:
Email: *
Location:
**
	e.g. 123-123
Comment: Please note: All HTML tags will be ignored. Format Text:
By posting a comment, I confirm that I have read and agree to the terms of use. Comments are not moderated but we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention and we may delete inappropriate postings. Please treat other people with respect. You must not post anything that is abusive, indecent, unlawful or defamatory. Remember, you are personally liable for what you post on this site. If you wish to complain about a comment, contact us here.
* Your email address will not be displayed ** To avoid register now or login