They were innovators of their generation, laughed at and loved in equal measure as they married musical mayhem with comedy and wacky theatrics on stage. The songs and antics of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band still hold fond memories for so many who fell under their spell in the mid to late 1960s.
While it's no longer possible to reunite the whole team, following the death of the legendary Vivian Stanshall in 1995, three of its key members are flying the flag for all things madcap under the title Three Bonzos and a Piano, and will be performing for the first time at the Cornerstone Arts Centre in Didcot on Saturday 12th December. Original Bonzos Roger Ruskin Spear, Rodney Slater and Sam Spoons have teamed up with super- pianist Dave Glasson to create more fun, music and subversive diversion in the spirit of the ageless band – "a sort of Bash Street Bonzos" according to Roger.
The original band started as an art school group combining elements of music hall, trad jazz, psychedelic rock, and avant-garde art, playing in London pubs and gaining broader public exposure through TV programmes such as Do Not Adjust Your Set which featured Pythons-to-be Michael Palin and Eric Idle and the young David Jason.
"We had a brief illuminating time between about 1964 and 1970 before going our separate ways. Most of us have been doing our own stage acts and shows in the meantime," explains Roger.
The ingredients of Three Bonzos and a Piano had been playing together as a group as the Slightly Dangerous Brothers. Then the idea of a Bonzos' 40th anniversary show came up, and the whole tribe reunited to pay tribute to Vivian, with Bonzo original Neil Innes and some special guests on board – a move that was followed by a tour. Fans were clamouring for more, but Neil wasn't keen to continue. Roger and Sam resumed their own collaboration, then asked Rodney to join them to play some Bonzo tunes. Dave Glasson – ex-Whoopee Band – completed the line-up.
"We decided we couldn't really use the whole band title if Neil wasn't involved, so we had to find a new name," says Roger. Watching The Jonathan Ross Show one night, Roger spied Three Poofs and a Piano, and Three Bonzos and a Piano were born. Roger is in charge of sax, clarinet, trouser press and giant robots (don't ask!), Rodney plays saxophones and washboard, Sam is on drums, electric spoons and didgeridon't, while Dave takes control of piano, bass, pullover and glasses. Andy Roberts, former Liverpool Scene and The Scaffold, who is one of the best respected musicians is a regular guest on guitar, banjo and ukulele.
They have been digging out all the old songs from the Bonzos' back catalogue in honour of Viv, including some that have not previously been performed, as well as brand new songs, but they've avoided Neil's distinctive numbers, which they feel can't be reproduced well without him.
"We are dotted all over the place, so it's tricky getting together and we've decided not to push ourselves to do more than two or three shows a month so we don't get tired or jaded. We're all old people now, you know," says Roger, but it's clear there's life in the old dog yet.
On the setlist will be Jollity Farm, Ali Baba's Camel, Hunting Tigers Out In India, Alley-Oop, Trouser Press, Monster Mash, Tent, Can Blue Men Sing The Whites?, I'm Bored and many more. They are also promising robots, smoke, unsuitable medical technology, ancient theatrical props and the kitchen sink to recreate the atmosphere of those formative years of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band at such legendary venues as The Tiger's Head in Catford.
"It's general chaos on stage – a bit like a workshop really," says Roger. "We don't want to get too slick with the act, but there little chance of that. We have collective amnesia."
Preview, 07/12/09
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Three Bonzos and a pianist, at work...
...and at play.
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