Keith Burton and his Beef Curtain

The Escobar in Wakefield is packed tonight for a listen and a look at the hilarious Keith Burton, the city’s best comedy singer/songwriter.

Firstly appearing without his Beef Curtain, Keith sings ‘Eyes’, recalling how he likes Pamela Anderson’s “eyes”, and ‘Dodi and Di’, an observant account of the fact that the royal and her man died. The simple but funny tracks feature just the lad and his guitar, and an occasional bit of a backing track. Which is normal enough, until the time comes for donning the quite freakish Beef Curtain (a dopey-eyed half mask with I guess what looks like beef for hair. It reminds me of the glasses you can get with the eyes painted on). The speakers blast out a pre-recorded sound of crunching bones, then it’s time for ‘Cannibal’ played to a track by Send More Paramedics (the song title speaks for itself about the content).



The best cover on the album ‘The Passion of the Burton’ is a reworking of the Cure’s ‘Love Cats’, changing the song to involve chavs (think jokes about Burberry, spit and names like “Ratboy and Baz” and you get ‘Hood Rats’). Other gems are the song about dog-sitting, a short ditty stating that there’s lizard’s abroad, and a good use of words with the slightly distorted Elvis cover ‘Breville in Disguise’ (- “She walks like a toaster. Talks like a toaster...”). Leaving the guitar but not the mask Keith starts on the keyboard and is joined by a mate to dance along to a varying pace instrumental. Now two Beef Curtains acting about with the same blank expression is a must to see. Picking the guitar back up for one of the best Burton tunes by far, the crowd love ‘Alcoholic Lesbian Vet’, about Emmerdale’s Zoe Tate, complete with hand movements (- “She’s not afraid to get her arm wet....”). Brilliant.

FUTURE GIGS

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