Lach: Up The Anti!

• Jo Bell
• 12 August 2012

This article is from 2012.

Witty rock and roll renditions from the legendary NY anti-folker

Think of one man. Add in that he’s masterfully strumming a guitar, singing with a deep, gravelly vocal or producing a commendable Bob Dylan impression. Then factor in that, despite an on stage humility, he’s kind of a New York legend.

Enigmatic musician Lach’s rousing solo show Lach: Up The Anti! is an hour-long journey through nostalgic music memories, scattered with anecdotes on The Clash, The Jam, The Beatles … the list goes on. The surprisingly small turnout means things start a little flustered, a hilarious reinterpretation of The Doors’ ‘The End’ – now an ode to how awesome it would be if Jim Morrison were Batman – not fully receiving the reception it deserves.

Fast forward, however, and you can tell that he’s done this before: a rant on the pitfalls of the Fringe, wistful anecdotes on the New York antifolk scene and an achingly funny hatred of Tom Petty’s biography – interjected with mighty fine tunes – and things have warmed up nicely.

With ‘no set list’ the show moves fluidly, a highlight being walked through a chorus of ‘KISS Loves You’ for a second time with verbally annotated cultural references. Fundamentally a great storyteller, Lach’s direct delivery and witty lyrics are at the heart of this show.

Alternative Fringe at the Hive, until 25 Aug (not 20 & 21), 8pm, £5 (£4).