In return for taking someone to see some free improv earlier in the week, which was never really going to be their cup of tea, I was taken to the 100 Club - on London’s retail paradise Oxford Street - the other night to see something they wanted to see. I’d never been there before (to the venue; I may have dallied a while on the street once or twice before). The venue was nice; wider than it was long, friendly bar staff, hi-tech Dyson hand driers in the loos. To compensate it was full of middle-aged, poorly dressed, overweight, bearded (and frankly, rather ugly) men.

One of the support acts was a woman playing a steel guitar. She was rubbish, horribly derivative blues sung in a grating faux-American accent, but there was one hilarious (to me, no-one else seemed all that amused) moment when she dedicated a song to her husband.
The song featured his name, sung repeatedly, and with tongue nowhere near cheek.
Her husband’s name was Barry (the crime was compounded by rhyming it with “marry”).
Barry. If ever there was a name I had never envisaged being celebrated in song, there it was. I nearly laughed her out of the building back to her seemingly beloved Noo Awwwwleans.


5 comments
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January 28, 2007 at 3:46 pm
andré maleronka
hi there, i notice you dig konono n1. i posted 9 small clips of the group playing in downtown são paulo at my blog http://transito.zip.net/ see ya!
January 28, 2007 at 6:31 pm
themilkman
This gig sounds delightful. I struggle to keep a straight face when I am introduced to someone stuck with Barry as a name. It sounds funny as a name, doesn’t it?
January 31, 2007 at 1:56 pm
wajimacallit
I think the correct pronunciation is Naaawwlins.
I used to have a housemate called Barry. He gave me a black eye once.
January 31, 2007 at 2:10 pm
mapsadaisical
*asks Dr John*
Yes, you are right Andrew.
January 31, 2007 at 2:22 pm
mandrew
Told ya.