The Camembert Quartet
Review of their gig in Vicar Street, Dublin, 11 November 2004
Review Snapshot:
To quote their press release "The Camembert Quartet have released
the most brilliantly scabrous, funny and timely Irish album since Fatima
Mansions 'Viva Dead Ponies'. Originally titled "Other Other Voices - C*nts from a
Room", The Camembert Quartet Sell Out is a distillation of lives lived on the
edge of the entertainment world - a concept album, if you will, about the
insincerity of forced emotion and cheap ideals, of simplistic politics and
mediocre aspirations." Sound like bullsh*t to you? Me too, I'd better go and see
the band at the launch in Vicar Street!
The
CLUAS Verdict?
6 out of 10
Full review: When I heard the word quartet in the band's name I automatically pictured
four blokes, looking jazzed up, goateed, tuxedo'd and red shirts with the big
fat collars who use the word "vibe" a little too much. How wrong was I? There
are five in The Camembert Quartet. I've really only heard the name in
conversation and was told they did a great Boyzone cover and something about the
Ace of Spades but that's about all. An evening with these stinky cheese maestros
is on the cards as we arrive just fashionably late enough to catch the last of
Jinx Lennon's set.
Jinx is on stage without the angry guitar and sweet voice of Paula, instead he's
got a tiny keyboard and the crowd seem to be loving it... well, apart from the
drunk girls beside me who can't shut up about having to leave for a fag. Maybe
it's the good P.A. but for once I can understand every word Jinx says in his deep
Dundalk accent. Jinx leaves to cheers for more.
And on comes this sincere singer-songwriter, at first I though it was Terry
Sutton but he's too young. He's sincerely f*cking awful but endearing none the
less so when the heckling start I really reel sorry for the poor lad, then the
heckling gets worse and I feel dreadful, so does he. "You think it's f*cking easy
to be up here? Do ye? DO YEZ?" he starts sing again but he's so bad the audience
starts sniggering guiltily, then the beer mats start flying so he's shouting
singing, the abuse is now at premium rate banned XXX 1550 personal service level
and rotten fruit becomes the weapon of choice, this is when I smell a wind up,
the band jump up and drag him off kicking and screaming...we've been duped!
The Quartet have put extra special effort into the show tonight by kicking off
with a little movie of them specking out the venue and trying to sell tickets, a
very tongue and cheek affair which goes down well as the band enter and straight
away belt into a jazzed up Latino thing which instantly set's the mood. Cheesy
grins in abundance, we all relax into what looks like is going to be a highly
entertaining evening.
The Band are launching their album 'The Camembert Quartet Sell Out', as far as I
know the only other thing they've launched was an EP called 'Boy Bands Are Runts'
(originally c*nts) but they had the foresight to know that no one would play it
and it just so happens that my mate, who got us on the guest list, is wearing a
"Boy Bands are C*nts T-shirt", don't see him getting into Lilies any time soon!
When the band play the song, everyone is prompted to join in on the catchy
chorus, and everyone does, our hero and lead comic Clint Velour notices a girl
at the front who is having difficulty with the words so invites her onstage for
a little additional encouragement from the audience, it takes a few go's but
eventually she's shouting C*NTS just like the rest of us. The quartet next
assault Brian McFadden's recent success with a cover of 'Real To Me' which, it
actually sounds great!
You're probably getting the picture now, the quartet in essence slag of our very own home grown talent, commercial or otherwise. Next victim on the gallows are The Thrills, they don't cover a song, instead they play a song
("California Dublin 4") that parodies the Thrills recent releases and - guess it
turns out to be a pure Thrills classic. The gig carries on in much the same vein, the band go though an A-Z of Irish
favourites and pull no punches.
In all aspects of Irish life we seem to champion our own until they achieve relative success or even somebody else also likes them,
and then the gloves come off. It's a national trait, we can't help it, we're masters of the put down.
The Camembert's music is pretty much jazz standard: I'd say if you couldn't understand a word they would still entertain
- although maybe in a Kenny G way - but classics like an upbeat musical reworking
of Patrick Kavanagh's "Stony Grey Soil" will always leave me with a spring in my step.
But I have my doubts that the album's as good.
Jesus Garcia
Check out the CLUAS review of the Camembert Quartet's album 'The Camembert Quartet Sell Out'
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Indie Music Discussion board.
