Head.
Robin Ince’s Book Club 2008
Madogs, Tuesday 19th August 4.00pm
The first annual Stalking Robin Ince Day continued with Book Club at Madog’s on George Street. We had to stalk through violent rain to get there in time, earning one of the basic Scout stalking badges – persistence.
This year’s Book Club (two shows only) was big on audience participation. Ince read from a selection of the worst books he’s discovered in charity shops, and asked the audience to drown him out in a sea of “oh my god, it’s awful” – whichever reading was shouted down first was the most awfulest.*
Ince was great, even if he did recycle some of the books from last year – some were so awe-inspiringly terrible that they were welcome back. He also referenced 1970s Doctor Who, and that is welcome. (Remember this fact – it’ll be important later.)
The guests, of which there were many, were a very mixed bag – the energy flagged almost every time Ince left the ’stage’ (different area of pub floor). The highlight was a lunatic Brian Blessed impersonator who came on to read from his autobiography, which had clearly been written in blood and faeces. Each sentence was delivered with a completely random and inappropriate intonation, aptly noting Blessed’s adherence to the Sylvester McCoy school of acting.*** I found it hilarious, though possibly more so than the rest of the audience.
There was also some sci-fi geekery based humour, extracts from ‘Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche’ and some inappropriate poetry. I’m afraid I can’t remember the name of a single one of these artists – you’ll have to ask Robin when you see him.
Afterwards I spied Ince alone at the bar, and pouncing on him, I delivered my hilarious opening line: “It’s good to hear a bit of Brain of Morbius**** based humour!”
He smiled and looked terrified, noting (rather harshly) that this Book Club had been “so ramshackle!” I smiled back, and told him that one day we would be together, but by then he had vanished, like a candle in the wind, apologising to the barmaid for pulling out the mike cord. What a lovely man. I didn’t show him the tattoo.
*This is how American elections work.**
**Political humour. Zing!
***Doctor Who humour. An niche reference, and not even topical.
****It’s a Doctor Who story. Why don’t you know that?
