The Circus of Invention

In terms of squalid, colourful and artistic eating and drinking dens Mr Wolfs in Bristol is top of the list. It sits in the urine-streaked backstreets of the city centre, internally illuminated by the flames from its infamous noodle bar. Doused liberally with all kinds of visual art, one may be mistaken for thinking this is merely a swanky bar and restaurant, but tucked at the rear of the establishment a low stage regularly plays host to some of the best and most eclectic music in Bristol. There is always a party here. That said, for all the heavily ‘danceable’ bands that perform, it is rare to see anything particularly controversial, that rattles the senses or has the power to perturb at a deep psychological level. Tonight all that will change.

	"The lack of self-consciousness and overwhelming nihilism of a man who screams and tramples his own guitar into the floor suggest a raw emotion comparable to rock and roll greats."

Tonight we are privileged to witness a show that would freak the cast of Freaks, give Papa Lazarou an unhealthy pallor, and force Pennywise, (the Stephen King created clown), to skank! The Circus of Invention are coming to town...

Imagine, if you will, the impossible gypsy love child of Johnny Rotten, Tom Waits, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, (to whom even their name surely pays homage), and Captain Beefheart and you are almost there. Just add a healthy dose of dub and three psychedelic years at a contemporary arts college, (I should know, I went there too), and hey presto, this band of misfits produce musical alchemy that is as poignantly political as it is perky and jocular.

Jassen Summogum, the Maldivian ringmaster of this hypnotic rabble, takes to the stage opening with one of many explosive rhetoric outbursts. Whether or not these insane ramblings are prepared or are merely an automatically - channelled stream of twisted consciousness is anyone’s guess. Regardless, they are hilarious, surrealistic and captivating to the extreme.



These rants and chants waver between London satire, (notably ‘Chim-chiminy chim chiminy chim-chim-charoo’), perverse sexuality, (‘Sucky-sucky five dollar’), recreational drug use, (‘Ketamine Magic! Ketamine Magic!’ is repeated many, many times...), and politics- ‘F*ck the man and f*ck the king this is MY land, this is MY world’.

Through abstract ambiguity worthy of a lost beat writer there are balanced coherent, and blunt statements in his lyrics. ‘Pass me a Rizla, pass me a bong, according to the government you’re doing something wrong!’

However, for all the tongue-in-cheek merriment I can’t help but feel there is deep power to this music which supersedes that of most ska/punk acts. Jassen performs with such gusto that at times you get glimpses of an inextinguishable inferno of rage and passion that burns behind his eyes. The lack of self-consciousness and overwhelming nihilism of a man who screams and tramples his own guitar into the floor suggest a raw emotion comparable to rock and roll greats.



The rest of the band is as equally unhinged, from the camo-clad bassist sporting sunglasses that would make Dame Edna jealous, to the knob-twiddling Korg player that doubles as a djeme drummer. Halfway through the set the saxophonist swaps for a mysterious snake-charming reed instrument, whose dissonance conjures all the atmosphere of an Eastern travelling bazaar.

Even aurally absorbing this dark matter produces positively psychotropic effects. Symptoms include euphoria and involuntary muscular spasms, (in the form of dancing), and those that are here tonight are intoxicated, jiving like there is no tomorrow.

Indeed this is not entertainment for the faint hearted. Anyone easily offended, on the right or who holds any shred of objective reality dear should probably stay away, but for the rest of us The Circus of Invention is evidence that punk attitude is by no means dead and thankfully there are still some out there who dare to speak out and be different.

FUTURE GIGS

sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.