LISTEN: Neil Innes’ (Monty Python/The Rutles) Triumphant Final American Concert
By Graham Alexander
December of 2019, The world lost legendary musician, humorist, and satirical artist Mr. Neil Innes.
Innes as a member of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band performing their single ‘Death Cab For Cutie’
The 7th ‘Python’ (of Monty Python fame) You may know Neil from his work in Monty Python-related projects - the guy was a genius. really. He wasn’t just funny…he was exceedingly intelligent. He was a master satirist. He began his career in The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band - which you may not know at all. They were a comedic group featured at the end of The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour Film….arguably one of their best-known contributions to pop was a phrase; their song ‘DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE” (which Neil wrote) inspired the band of the same name.
George Harrison & Neil Innes performing in his famous SNL premiered music video ‘Crackerbox Palace’
I’ll make a selective list in case you want to skip it;
He joined the Pythons soon after - and toured with them for years.
He wrote songs for and appeared in ‘Monty Python & The Holy Grail’
He wrote the whistle hook of ‘Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life’ - and appeared in ‘Monty Python’s Life Of Brian’
He founded, starred in, and wrote the songs for ‘The Rutles’ film, ‘All You Need Is Cash’ - a Monty Python Off-Shoot that lampooned the success and legacy of The Beatles. It even spawned a billboard hot 100 placing of the soundtrack album.
The Rutles during the filming of ‘All You Need Is Cash’, 1977
‘The Rutles’ project became a cult classic - VH1 declared it one of the 500 greatest moments in rock ’n’ roll - it premiered on SNL. A sequel was made by Rhino Home Entertainment which featured guest roles Tom Hanks, Jimmy Fallon, Mick Jagger, Sheryl Crow - too many to list - actually - and all cult fans of The Rutles.
Neil even co-wrote an ‘Oasis’ song. He continued making records till recently and in mid/late 2018 he visited The Victor Vault where we became his backing group - honorary Rutles - for what I know now was his last full band/solo American concert).
We had a nice musical cast assembled for the show - I think all of us had been natural fans of The Rutles as a lampooning of some of our favorite music. None the less; we were excited to play with Neil.
Until he walked in for rehearsal
The man threw a FIT - an absolute fit. He was very very angry.
There wasn’t fully weighted 88 key keyboard available - and Neil was absolutely livid about it.
He ranted and raved about how it would be absolutely impossible to do this show with a 76 key keyboard …there was absolutely no possibility of it happening under these conditions.
Meanwhile; the show is sold out and the band is already on edge having learned a whole show of music in a short period of time
My patience being shorter than I’d like it to be for such things (and as of recent…anything…IM WORKING ON IT) - I retreated into the offices until the issue was resolved …which was done so by hiring a backline company to bring in the 88 key weighted piano.
The keyboard didn’t arrive in time for the rehearsal …so Neil begrudgingly rehearsed on the 76 key keyboard.
Rehearsal went well; I like singing that material - and I knew it fairly well - after all…I had SOME experience playing bass and singing tenor vocal harmonies/lead vocals in another production of shockingly similar music a decade previous!
Neil signs a ‘The Rutles’ Soundtrack album for a fan
Neil was very happy about the condition of the group, musically speaking - I was too. Everyone did a great job - including Neil.
BUT He was still unhappy about the 76 key keyboard- You see; a 76 key keyboard loses a LOW octave (a series of low notes) - an octave that isn’t really used in a lot of modern popular music (because it generally can’t be heard…since its so incredibly low…manufacturers began eliminating the lowest octave to make travel easier for bands transporting keyboards starting in the 1960s - some keyboards have as few as 40 or 50 some keys.)
SO; fast forward…
Right before the doors open - the 88 key keyboard arrives - a gentleman drove it over from the backline rental facility nearby ….and we set it up….and we went through all of the piano songs that we hadn’t gone through on the 76 key keyboard.
I watched Neil rehearse …and he didn’t hit that extra part of the keyboard/octave NOT ONCE….NOT A SINGLE TIME WAS ANY OF THE EXTRA 12 NOTES ON THE KEYBOARD THAT HE THREW A FIT ABOUT EVER HIT….I CAN’T STRESS THIS ENOUGH….I STARED AT HIS HANDS THE WHOLE TIME……
except for at the very last note of a single song when he hit ONE…SINGLE…LOW NOTE……
The end of his classic Rutles song he premiered on SNL in 1976; ‘Cheese & Onions’ -
We moved heaven and earth for that single note - and when the song ended and he hit that SINGLE low note (a STAB…it lasts for about .2 seconds) he shot me this look like;
‘Got Ya!’
It was arguably one of the best - most British - dry humor events i’d ever been witness to and from THAT point out….Neil was one of the sweetest, most interesting, and endearing people we’d ever brought into The Victor Vault.
We hung out for hours before and after. I believed he was working on putting together what would have been the first official ‘The Rutles’ tour of the USA with what are now the surviving members (minus Eric Idle…who didn’t play the original parts.) Neil and I had a back and forth following this about me joining him to sing and play bass for this tour…but ALAS…it was never to be! None the less; our time with him was educational…Neil had a very good political mind - he enjoyed a great debate - he was a scholar - he believed in the power of people and democracies (and the art of satire) - he was one of my favorite and most human ’celebrities’ (he’d hate that term) I’ve ever worked with. We kept in touch a little bit until his sudden and unexpected passing - he was in the process of making a new record which he’d thought about working with Victor Records to release which was (of course) a complete honor.
Neil left us the kind of music that makes you *think* - in many ways his style of satirical songwriting was some kind of ‘The Onion’ of music - before we all knew and loved that style of humor universally. He was a trailblazer - he was an unpretentious clown rebel - but he was also a very authentic human being that helped continue the grand Shakespearean tradition of satirical commentary into the modern age…something we need now more than ever.
Listen below to some highlights from Neil Innes’s final full band American concert with The Victor Co. Players -Graham Alexander & Co. LIVE at The Victor Vault:
CAST:
Neil Innes/88 Key Keyboard, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals,
Graham Alexander/Bass, Vocals, Keyboards,
Zach Harski/Electric Guitar, Vocals,
Keith Hohing/Drums, Vocals,
Steve Butler/Electric Guitar/Vocals,
Jim Verdeur/Saxophone/Percussion
Dustin Napoli/Percussion/Vocals
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