The Crazy World of Arthur Brown at le Poisson Rouge

Arthur Brown

Arthur Brown was born in 1942 as his family's home was being bombed by the Germans in a World War II air raid. As a young adult, he left his hometown of Whitby, a seaside town in northern England, to perform in several bands based in London, England, and later, in Paris, France. Returning to London in 1967, he formed the Crazy World of Arthur Brown. The band was a one-hit wonder when 1968's "Fire" sold over one million copies. Arthur Brown quickly gained attention for his powerful operatic voice (which spanned four octaves in addition to the banshee-like screech that ended "Fire"), his colorful face paint, and his burning metal helmet. After several personnel changes and no further commercial success, the band split in 1970. Brown then sang in several bands including Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come in the 1970s. In the 1980s, he worked as a carpenter, painter, and counselor while living in Austin, Texas. He returned to music with a new Crazy World of Arthur Brown in 2000. Since 2000, the Crazy World of Arthur Brown has consisted of  Brown, guitarist Z-Star, keyboardist Lucie Rejchrtova, bassist Jim Mortimore, and drummer Samuel Walker. The band's most recent album, Gypsy Voodoo, was released on June 26, 2019.

Perhaps curiosity and nostalgia drew an audience to see the Crazy World of Arthur Brown perform tonight at le Poisson Rouge. Brown performed in colorful face paint and changed into many flamboyant outfits, including a nearly floor-length vest with rows of flashing LED lights. Unlike his performance there two years ago, no flaming helmet accompanied "Fire" this time, and perhaps New York City safety codes were a factor in that decision. The set consisted of an eclectic mix of songs mostly from the debut album and 2013's Zim Zam Zim, plus the title track of the new album and three songs from Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come. Brown sang richly, and the band jammed wherever possible, so much so that the encore felt extended beyond reason. The Crazy World of Arthur Brown provided an entertaining show, but it was all warm-up for the zenith of "Fire."

Setlist:

1. Nightmare
2. Gypsy Voodoo
3. Want to Love
4. Gypsy Escape (Arthur Brown’s Kingdom Come cover)
5. I Put a Spell on You (Screamin’ Jay Hawkins cover)
6. Time Captives (Arthur Brown’s Kingdom Come cover)
7. Touched by All
8. Sunrise (Arthur Brown’s Kingdom Come cover)
9. Muscle of Love
10. Fanfare - Fire Poem
11. Fire

Encore:

1. Jungle Fever
2. The Unknown