I was meant to interview the vaudevillian Billericay (well, Northern London) charmer Ian dury back in the 80s but Jean Douminian lost her role as producer of SNL back to Lorne Michaels and the first thing they did was cancel his performance.
I don’t see why.
I saw him back in 1976 or 1977 and thought he was terrific. Not only did he star in the only pub rock band worth name checking, Kilburn and the Highroads, he was Stiff records first star (Costello was there second) and recorded the awsome one of the best albums of all time New Boots And Panties album.
Now comes word of a Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in Lord Of The Rings starring in a Dury biopic Sex And Drugs And Rock And Roll released in January in the UK so it should be here by the summer. Serkis is a talented fellow and should do a good job but Dury was such an unusual character, I think all anybody can do is imitate him.
Still it’s as good an excuse as any to go back and listen to the music, stuff like “Reasons To be Cheerful”, “Wake Up And make love To Me”, “Spasticus Artisticus”… I think I am going to induct him into the Rock NYC Bands we Really, Really Like hall of fame…
nomination seconded