Darren Hayman and the Secondary Modern – Jericho Tavern, Oxford, 09/09/09

The day the Beatles remasters and Rock Band came out, I took my mind off the sorrow of not owning either by going to see Darren Hayman and the Secondary Modern at Oxford’s cosy Jericho Tavern. Having released his second album with the Secondary Modern, Pram Town, in January, the ex-Hefner man had plenty from that to play, as well as one or two more obscure Hefner tracks. All in all, it was a relaxed, intimate but fun evening, with a really interesting spread of intriguing bands – even though I can’t see the host host of bands thatd descending on the city in October, this was one show I was glad I was able to see.

The first support band was… a band I can’t remember the name of to save my life, and I can’t seem to find it on the web either, to my disgust. However, that’s not to say this band was itself unmemorable – far from it. A young folk/pop band with pleasant, childlike naive lyrics, they were chiefly driven by acoustic guitar. The two girls took charge of the singing duties in an endearingly slightly shy way, reinforcing the status of this as an incredibly nice performance. Sometimes the brass seemed a little extraneous, except for their last song which came to a wonderful climax and left everyone in the room excited for the main support. Some genuine potential on display.

Poppy and Friends were up next – with their rather unusual set up. The diminutive Poppy plays acoustic guitar and sings, while her two back-up gents play drums and… double bass. The treatment of that instrument alone was a big plus point – seeing it being lugged onto the Jericho’s tiny stage increased the anticipation, and the musicians amusing habit of slowing falling over with it as he played the end of one or two songs raised real smiles all around. Poppy herself is a real stage presence – she’s talkative and self-deprecating both in and out of her songs, which often poke fun at her own shortness as well as reference surreal fancy dress parties and “aliens” in baths. New single “Train Song” (released since the gig) was a highlight, Poppy relating a story of how she and her Friends had played the song – appropriately enough – on a train at Indietracks.

Everyone was thoroughly ready when Hayman and co swiftly turned up, the audience clamouring to get closer to the stage in this tiny venue. What really started the set off was a pleasant surprise – Hayman and his violinist played a two-song mini-set stood among the audience, strolling about casually as they played, before venturing up to the stage, at which point Hayman wielded his electric. Soon the whole band was in on it, playing Hayman’s witty, fun songs – like “Room to Grow” and “Amy and Rachel”, the latter about a musically mismatched school band. Between songs, Hayman cradled his heavily-personalised, Strummer-esque stickered guitar and kept the audience thoroughly engaged with his banter. The band members gave off an effortless aura of being deeply professional, especially Hayman’s violinist and banjo player, who were great fun to watch. The bassist looked like he was having a huge amount of fun, swaying as he played, and his enthusiasm was infectious.

This was a show that was characterised by the juxtaposition of three bands who complemented each other beautifully – all are worth tracking down to see live, such is the vibe you get from hearing them play in combination and as a trio. If Hayman was able to find local support as good as the band in Oxford for his other dates, it must have been a great tour.