Davy Crockett, Peter Pan, Elvis Presley, Disneyland

Billy Joel did it in We Didn't Start The Fire.  Madonna did it in Vogue.  Inspired by King Charles' cover of the aforementioned Billy Joel classic, an updated version more relevant to the twenty tens, I have tried to do something similar.

Remember the last thirty seconds of You Only Get What You Give by the New Radicals?  You know, 'fashion shows with Beck and Hanson, Courtney Love and Marilyn Manson'?  Try and read the below in the same style as that.

Kate is pregnant, Harry's naked, David Cameron love to hate him,

Downton Abbey, who won Strictly?  Olympics comes and goes too quickly,

Glastonbury, Bieber fever, Moyles succeeded by Nick Grimshaw,

Benefits, and Philpotts’ lying, Leveson will stop you prying,

BNP, don’t trust the Euro, no tax if you find a loophole,

Thatcher’s funeral, David Beckham, beef lasagne might need checking!

Maybe I'm a poet who just didn't know it?

I’ll be your King and you’ll be my Queen

Who:  King Charles

Where:  The Fleece, Bristol

When:  Saturday 13th April

www.kingcharlesmusic.com

The Fleece is a relatively small venue, but not every gig is a sell out.  Tonight's was though, and quite rightly so.

King Charles (otherwise known as Charles Johnston and his band) take the stage to the sound of pounding d&b.  He’s not theatrically dressed as you might expect - more low key in a t-shirt and leather jacket combo, but a pearl necklace adds an essence of decadence.  A West London boy with an air of Amy Winehouse tramp-chic and the face of Ollie Locke*,  he won the International Songwriting Competition by unanimous vote in 2009, and it’s not difficult to see why.  

There are the evocative tracks like the footstompingly dramatic Polar Bear and the jingly jangly loveliness of Missisipi Isabel, then Bam Bam, the upbeat crowd pleaser with an easy sing-a-longable chorus.  During Polar Bear Charles throws himself around the stage, and it’s hard to know if he’s a) wasted, b) overcome by the music, or c) both.  After re-gaining a little compusure an extended version of Coco Chitty showcases some impressive guitar work, which can only really be appreciated in a live setting.

King Charles on stage.

The hopeless romantic tale of Lady Percy is my personal highlight,  what I’d call a ‘Mr Brightside moment’, (or, more embarrassingly, a ‘Never Forget by Take That moment’).  Lady Percy was my introduction to King Charles and I absolutely fell in love with the song when I first heard it.

The last hurrah is a clever cover of We Didn’t Start The Fire by Billy Joel - instead of JFK, Princess Grace, and trouble in the Suez, it’s Facebook, Afganistan, Kate and Will, and Gaga on the radio.

The gig ends with the support band crashing the stage, jumping around, loving life, and banging drums.

My boyfriend, who’s taste in music could be seen as a lot more credible than mine (if you don’t believe me wait for the next gig review), tweeted “Enjoyed King Charles on Saturday night - wasn't sure what to expect but they were amazing. This is as close as I get to gushing.”  I don’t think you could get a better compliment than that!

*Ollie Locke, as in the one with the long hair from Made In Chelsea

If you're intrigued by the Billy Joel cover, here it is on NME.com: