Blabbermouth is by no means your average folky singer-songwriter type. My sister, Ali and I, came across him at a gig where we had gone to see Tim Kay. We loved Kay's uplifting, My World, track that had been used on one of Jamie Oliver's TV cookery programmes and had made contact with him through Facebook.
Tim Kay was alright but nothing to write home about and we haven't been to watch him since, although have occasionally indulged in playing his poppy tune. Blabbermouth, however, was a true spectacle who we've developed a bit of a friendship with.
Blabsy is a very troubled, dark and tormented man but he is also dryly funny and his performances are punctuated with impromptu black comedy as he mercilessly heckles his audience. It's obvious the guy has chronic self-esteem issues and if a member of the audience gets up to leave he savagely attacks them. A bundle of laughs you're thinking. I know he doesn't sound like a palatable prospect for a gig but somehow Blabsy has crept into our hearts and Ali and I accept him for the flawed, knarled little package he is.
He's a great songwriter and lyricist (although quite a few of his tracks are unhealthily preoccupied with his own death). He's got a good eye for the depressing details of modern life. Yet, despite all this, a couple of his songs, like My Dancing Heart cut through the prozac saturated tone and unexpectedly lift the listener up. Ali and I have been known to do some backing vocals for Blabsy - always a good excuse to shake things up with a few harmonies.
Verdict: a unique and shadowy little folk-puppet man, sitting on his stool intermittently spitting insults and singing charming little ditties.
A rough guide to some of the best up and coming bands on the London unsigned circuit.
