Stars join Gribbin for live album

Steve Gribbin is to record a new live album at London's Comedy Store.

The Liverpudlian comic songwriter will be joined by Mark Thomas, Bill Bailey and Mark Steel when he tapes Made Up on June 2.

Most will be offering stand-up support, but Bailey will play on some tracks, as will fellow comics Richard Morton and Paul Thorne.

It will be Gribbin's first live album, following the success of previous studio releases.

"We made 3,000 copies of the last album, In Bulk, and they've all sold," Gribbin said. "So I thought I'd now take the advice many people have offered and record a live album

"Everything I write is intially for live performance. You can't beat the immediacy of performing to an audience."

Made Up will comprise eight or nine songs - some of which Gribbin wrote for the Comedy Store's topical Cutting Edge show - with stand-up in between.

"I prefer mixing stand-up in," he said. "When I was with Skint Video we'd tour, but it would all be music. I sometimes come up with a great line that won't work in song, but it will as stand-up. It's all about rhythm - and sometimes it's a challenge to make songs rhyme internally."

Tracks to be recorded at the June 2 gig will include the Country song The Ballad Of George Dubya, the folksy In The Countryside, a jazz-sea shanty fusion called Reefer Madnes and a music hall romp called I Blame Them Asylum Seekers.

"That' s in the kind of style of Right Said Fred," Gribbin explained, "a jolly ditty that belies the seriousness of the concept."

Gribbin is also aware of the problems of performing topical material, let alone recording it. "War material dates easily," he said. "People are bored of it already, even though there's still a lot going on. You have to think of a way around it - I pretend to be cashing in on the war and doing a 'remember when' routine."

The album will be out about three weeks after the recording, sold at Gribbin's gigs, including an arts centre tour planned for later in the year.

"I want the album to be ready for Glastonbury," he said. "I'm doing a lot of festivals this year and I want to be able to sell it there.

"It's available at gigs, which I prefer. Rich Hall signed a deal with Warner Bros that got his CD in the shops, but he gets very little for each one sold."

Made Up will be recorded at the Comedy Store on June 2. Click here to buy tickets.

Published: 16 May 2003