As their name suggests, Ridiculous aren’t taking themselves too seriously - and if you weren’t sure where they hail from, the lyric “who wants to be a millionaire,” might give away their Hampstead stock.
The four-piece rock band is made up of an 80s pop star, a screen composer, a satirical magazine editor and a session bassist who has played with Roger Daltrey and Queen's Roger Taylor.
According to folklore, Sebastian Wocker of Hampstead Village Voice fame and ex frontman of Indie band Yeah got a phone call from former Culture Club drummer Jon Moss in Jan 2018.
Moss, who grew up and still lives in Hampstead, said that he and Pete Noone a bassist "from the other side of the Finchley Road" wanted to assemble a band of locals.
Later, while "larking about" in Perrin's Walk, they were approached by Hampstead Garden Suburb-raised Erran Baron Cohen - brother of Sasha and composer of music for the likes of Borat, The Infidel and Grimsby.
He handed them a card and soon they were a quartet rehearsing for their first gig at Camden Town's Dublin Castle. That was back in June and it went well enough to warrant a repeat performance at the legendary music venue last Wednesday where the temperature was the inverse of the old music hall gag: "they're only in here for the warmth."
The chance to spend an hour in an air conditioned room was an attraction in itself - but thankfully there was nothing ridiculous about the performance. Aptly starting off with a track called 36 degrees, the band treated the crowd to a mix of self described "bouncy" tracks with more thoughtful considered ones to boot. It's a sign of a good outfit that they're able to be reflective and frivolous at the same time.
Lead singer and guitarist Wocker, playing alongside Moss on drums and keyboard and trumpet player Erran, might not be the best known musician in the band, but his stage presence and vocals kept the performance together and lent the songs an earnest feel.
Noone was the unsung hero of the night providing bass and backing vocals. While there was the odd sign of rust (at one point they started playing one song only to recall they were trying to perform another), it's no surprise for what was only their third gig.
Moss was also in Yeah for a time and notable crowd pleasers Universe and Everybody Loves That Girl sent the audience home happy. Another gig is lined up in the same venue on October 23, and the band are hoping to play some festivals next year.
For a night of decent music, played by folk you might bump into on Hampstead High Street, it'll be worth heading to the Dublin Castle - if only for the warmth.
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