Saying Primus frontman Les Claypool is a man who wears many hats might normally refer to the scads of bands he plays in, i.e. Sausage, Holy Mackerel, Oysterhead, The Rat Brigade and tonight's incarnation, The Colonel Les Claypool And His Flying Frog Brigade, but this evening at the El Rey, it's also a literal assessment.
Beginning with a Pinocchio's nose (not technically a hat but could be considered headgear) and segueing through a soldier's cap, a helmet and ultimately a pig's head, the Primus leader keeps his dome well-covered throughout the evening's two sets.
Fronting a six-piece band that includes at intervals, keyboards, drums, guitars, banjo, and of course bass, Les and friends play an opening set that blows through free jazz, heavy metal, funk and rock like an express train through podunk towns, not pausing too long in any one genre and never looking back. Having never met a bass note he didn't want to slap, Claypool and crew's take on Pink Floyd's 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' brings the tune into a new dimension and also serves as a transition into the band's second set.
Back after a 20-minute intermission, the only songs to come
down the pike for the second half are from Pink Floyd's 'Animals' album. In keeping with the Pink Floyd vibe, Claypool's covers come complete with the kind of clashing lights that make consistent focus on the stage an impossibility. For some the chance to hear Claypool's bottom-heavy rendering of 'Pigs On the Wing 2' 'Dogs' and 'Sheep' seems to be the moment of a lifetime, however, a slim but present minority walk out mumbling about how they didn't realise they were paying to see a Pink Floyd show. The early evacuees miss the woozy encore of The
Beatles' 'Tomorrow Never Knows' and lose out on a chance to see Claypool's final choice of chapeau.
Colin Devenish
NEW! For the latest music videos and backstage interviews, check out our brand new sister site, NME Video.
Comments do not always reflect the views of NME, or IPC Media, for guidelines visit our Ts & Cs page