Thomas Walsh returns to The West Hampstead Arts Club to celebrate the release of the first Pugwash album Almond Tea.

The West Hampstead Arts Club is becoming a home away from home for Iris musician Thomas Walsh. On this rather chilly Saturday evening, the fans of the Irish songwriter (including former XTC guitarist Dave Gregory) gathered in the intimate venue to listen to Thomas’ career retrospective set. 

AN UNEXPECTED SURPRISE…

We had the unexpected pleasure of an opening set by Tom better known under the name of Novelty Island who was invited by Thomas to play an opening set of a dozen songs. Opening his set with the very McCartney-ish This Bird from his excellent debut LP How Are You Coping With Century, the set saw Tom jumping between tracks from his two albums and also airing some new songs from his forthcoming LP to be released later this year. Tom’s back on the 29th of March at the West Hamstead Arts Club for a full band Novelty Island show.

MANY SLICES OF POP GOODNESS

It was then the turn of Thomas to hit the stage. Billed as a 25th century celebration of Pugwash’s debut album Almond Tea, the setlist saw our hist revisiting most of his albums including some chosen cuts from the Duckworth Lewis Method with Neil Hannon. Thomas took to stage while the sound system in the venue was playing Rain by The Beatles, miming Ringo’s drum fills to perfection, he also sung acapella the phased vocals of the songs coda when the sound was switched off so he could start the show.

Apples from Almanac was the occasion to tell a hilarious story round the creation of the artwork of the original single release of the song.  A failed attempt a Stealers Wheel Star was followed by a splendid rendition of Be My Friend, one of many slices of pop goodness offered by our host. Thomas’ vocals were absolutely top notch for the whole evening with Love in A Circumstance being a primary example while the jangly Take Your Time (also from Thomas’s latest album The Rest is History) still shone stripped of its luxurious arrangement.

BEST BETWEEN SONG BANTER IN THE BUSINESS

Thomas probably has the best between song banter in the business. Hilariously self deprecating, the tales and jokes were almost as entertaining as the songs themselves. Not afraid of throwing a curveball in a name dropping Jeff Lynne anecdote or taking a punt at himself for “going solo”, he had the audience in stitches. Andy Partridge once signed Pugwash to his Ape record label proclaiming that were “Beatles level good”, and when Walsh pulls a home run by playing Lucky in Every Way, What Are You Like and Fall Down in a row, you’d be hard pressed to disagree with that statement.

A small detour in Duckworth Lewis Method territory with Meeting Mr Miandad was the occasion for Thomas to hint that more might come from him and Neil Hannon in the not too distant future. Making the most of the time before curfew we were treated to the supremely sad (yet beautiful) We Knew. Thomas tried to entice Dave Gregory to join him on a cover of XTC’s Grass (Dave declined politely saying he had injured his thumb not long ago) before closing with the ever catchy It’s Nice To Be Nice.

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