The Rubber Bandits brought their brand of West Coast Comedy G Funk to the XOYO last Sunday, (West Coast of Ireland that is) to a large and up for it audience.
Comprised of Blindboy Boat Club, Mr. Chrome, with ‘Willie O’D.J.’ on the decks, their set was a mixture of referential satire, surreal flights of fancy wrapped up with big beats and catchy hooks.
How can you a resist a set list with lyrics such as ‘Liar Liar, Danny Dyer, get him in a headlock, who’s the big man now’?, or the touching Kes influenced lovesong that is ‘Spastic Hawk’. Their tribute to disgraced Limerick politician Willie O’Dea, (who’s rubber mask adorns their DJ) is hilarious, as they parody him as an out of control deviant ‘It’s daecent hash, it’s daecent hash, i swear on my ‘Tache it’s daecent hash’. (Note to Editor, that’s the correct Limerick phoenetic spelling there).
I was wondering how ‘In the ‘Ra’ would go over with a London audience, but it’s skewed comic take on Irish History is so ludicrous, that it’s impossible to take seriously. Did you know that ‘Ian Paisley, George Lucas, Maggie Thatcher and yer man out of De DaVinci Code’ were members of the I.R.A. ? No, neither did I.
Finishing up with ‘Double dropping yokes with Eamon De Valera’, which they explain to as ‘something like doing MDMA with Benjamin Disraeli’ and the huge hit (well in Ireland at least) ‘Horse Outside’. It’s clear the rubberbandits have more clownish comedic energy than they know what to do with. Subversive and smart they’re an absolute blast of giddy fun.
Their double album ‘Serious about Men’ is out this Christmas.
Words and Photos by Mark Williams
