Tickets are here: https://strange23oct.eventbrite.co.uk/?aff=autoBlog
Richard ‘Kid’ Strange brings his solo show, An Accent Waiting To Happen, back to The Art House after his first appearance here in 2019 – with new tales of his adventures. Expect a entertaining evening of songs, film clips, stories, readings, and downright scurrilous gossip from his 40+ years in the arts and entertainment world.
“His extraordinary memoir is gloriously indiscreet” – Time Out
Strange’s story is a wild ride through the last 40 years of pop culture, filled with wit, charm, and a sense of adventure that’s hard to match. Whether you know him as a musician, actor, writer, or just a man with some incredible stories, there’s no denying that he’s a unique and captivating figure in the world of arts and entertainment.
— Watch Doctors of Madness at House of St Barnabas..
“A seminal figure at the crossroads of art, music, film, and counter-culture” – The Independent
Richard is the founder of proto-punk rock band The Doctors of Madness, first unleashed on an uncomprehending public in 1975, and who were at one time supported by the Sex Pistols, The Jam, and Joy Division – the “missing link between David Bowie and The Sex Pistols…” once wrote The Guardian in May 2017. In 2019 Strange returned to the studio to record the first new Doctors of Madness album in 41 years, entitled “Dark Times.” The album featured guests like Joe Elliott of Def Leppard and Sarah Jane Morris of the Communards.
“If you have never heard the Doctors of Madness, you should. Musically they are the Velvet Underground, New York Dolls with shades of glam, hippie, prog and punk all rolled into one, yet are still totally original. Vastly underrated, they should have been huge. Pure genius“ – Vic Reeves (Comedian)
He was robbed by The Sex Pistols, trashed an art gallery with Jack Nicholson, played cricket with Imran Khan, paid Depeche Mode £15 to play a half-hour set, cooked shepherd’s pie for Mariella Frostrup and spaghetti with Sophia Loren. Actor James Nesbitt perhaps sums it up best: “18 years after first meeting him, just thinking about Richard still reduces me to a state of near hysteria…and terror. He restores one’s faith in the ability of the human spirit to soar.“
“Strange is a cultured, gregarious chap who moves through London’s gilded salons observing his peers’ foibles. He observes the glitterati with a witty eye.” – Mojo
He’s worked with Marianne Faithfull on The Black Rider, performed with luminaries like David Byrne, Tim Robbins, Steve Buscemi, Shane McGowan (who is very poorly at the time of writing,) Twiggy, and Suzanne Vega, and narrated & sang baritone in Frank Zappa’s 200 Motels which played to a rapturous full house at The Royal Festival Hall.
Make It Stop! Doctors of Madness
“Richard Strange passes the kool acid test with psychedelic colours” – The Tatler
As well as music, he’s appeared in Gangs of New York, numerous episodes of Men Behaving Badly, Batman, Mona Lisa and he was ‘the executioner’ in Robin Hood-Prince of Thieves! He’s collaborated with Tom Waits, Martin Scorsese, Peter Capaldi, Jarvis Cocker and many more besides.
Watch: Richard interviews Peter Capaldi …
Richard’s influence on London’s cultural life is profound. He’s collaborated with award-winning artist Haroon Mirza, curated mixed-media events like Cabaret Futura, and worked with artists like Gavin Turk and Richard Wilson. His events, like Cabaret Apocalyptica for the Tate Gallery, draw thousands, and his touch is felt in every corner of London’s art scene. As if that wasn’t enough, he’s composed music for Protein Dance, and taught Creative Musicianship at The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance and “Creativity in Context” at Tileyard as well as being a mentor for the National Music Education charity, Music For Youth.
“Richard Strange can do most things with a maniacal twist, and most cleverly, with unmatched originality: he can sing, write songs, he can act, he can show off like a six year old and he has the most dangerous sense of hilarity, sustainable in moments of deepest solemnity“ – James Fox (Writer)
Dive into the world of Richard Strange; it’s a world where anything is possible, and everything is Strange in the best possible way. His life is a testament to the power of creativity, a beacon for artists everywhere, and a story that continues to inspire.
There is a Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/244953807967155
