Misty's Big Adventure + The Dirty Old Folkers

Live performances are meant to add an extra depth to music, that can't necessarily be experienced through personal listening. I think a lot of gigs nowadays fall short of this entertainment, and musician's appearances are often unmemorable, boring or (regarding sound) they lack any difference to the recording (or worse, the music is doesn't work well live at all!)

But of course, Misty's and The Dirty Old Folkers completely break that seemingly infectious trend, they both strive to entertain fans with non-stop gags, drama and down right madness.

Standing amongst the crowd, I had to look twice at two figures; a huge panda bear and skeleton casually walking towards the stage, accompanied by the other members of The Dirty Old Folkers. These tongue-in-cheek phoney-farmer brummies will have you in stitches from the word go, as their quirky covers of famous songs such as 'Killing in the Name' are brought to life through hillbilly, eyebrow-raising humour.

For virgins of The Dirty Old Folkers (such as moi) you definitely have to climatise to the obscure antics that revolve around this dramatic group. From the panda and skeleton dance-off, to an on stage morris dance, to a Lord of the Rings battle resulting in the audience's 'ooohs' and 'aaahs'; the only way I could possibly describe The Folkers is through seeping laughing gas into a room. By then, even I bestowed the chaotic caper with giggles and panto replies, all in the name of light hearted, traditional and true entertainment.

Folker's lead singer Stuart (or 'The Peacock', as he likes to be known) is an astounding comedian, who borders on being almost offensive with his humour, but somehow manages to wangle his way out with smart wit. (Go and see them yourself to find out exactly what I'm talking about!)

Musicians take themselves way too seriously nowadays, and I think many music fans have become engulfed within the pretense that music has to have a meaning. Take a break, come and see The Folkers, and you're sure to see a satirical piss-take that will leave you smiling for hours (and even days) afterwards. I couldn't think of a better support act for Misty's, The Dirty Old Folkers hit the nail on the head.

Of course to follow, none other than slapstick quipster Grandmaster Gareth and his eccentric crew of misfits established their places in squiffy triumph. Opening with Aggression, [the lead track from their latest album] Misty's kick started their fans into a progressive dancing folly.

I'd gotten used to such strengthening audience interaction, but this performance was something else, and I'm pretty sure that more and more Misty's fans get infected with the on stage lunacy each time I see them. The crowd are becoming just as entertaining as the band themselves, and if you're just watching Misty's or slightly nodding to the music, then you'll end up feeling like the odd one out; so get your groove on!

The Hare had become particularly sweatier than usual, and dancing mascot Erotic Volvo's blue face paint had dissolved with perspiration much quicker than expected, thus, his typical erratic bounds were less frequent than previous performances. But instead, his appearance would be led through comical pantomime dramas.

We're all so familiar with the now-legendary 'I Want a Biscuit (You Can't Have One)', so this time, Misty's treated us with 'Je Veux un Biscuit (Sie Konnen Nicht Ein)', and of course, this meant that Erotic Volvo passed biscuits to the audience and teased Gareth with a jammy dodger, as per usual (which is still somehow greatly funny!) Taking the gag further, I think it'd be great if Misty's released this track on vinyl in as many different languages as they possibly could!

(And if you haven't heard them play the original track, you really must see it; it's utterly bonkers!)

For their first live performance in Brum for 2012, Misty's certainly treated their home fans with some less familiar tracks too. One especially stood out, called The Great Big Green Bouncing Ball, which was more like a children's sketch than an actual song; but I'm a big kid, so I absolutely loved it!

But there's also another band within Misty's, who always tranform to do one track during every gig. This time, The Dumbettes did their own rendition of Egyptian Shumba, with Gareth taking to the keys and Hannah, Lucy and Lucy taking to the mics for some true girl pop! It's a brilliant concept, and the 60s track brought a completely different side out of the Misty's line up.

There's so many depths to Misty's shows, and you can always expect the unexpected. They're one of the greatest bands that I've ever seen live; They've never been disappointing, and if you haven't experienced any of their performances, I truly suggest that you do. Misty's Big Adventure are one of a kind!