The event ‘In Conversation with Bez: The Nine Lives of a Happy Monday’ took place the Scarborough’s Crescent Lounge on 9th October, hosted by BBC Introducing’s Jericho Keys and with Panic Band and HNA (Hannah Velour) completing the evening’s offering.
Happy Mondays’ Bez is a character, one we may associate with anything from on-stage shenanigans with The Happy Mondays and the Madchester scene, to competing in reality TV and quiz shows as varied as I’m A Celebrity to Mastermind. Behind the outward persona, there are stories and aspects that may go overlooked; the Crescent Lounge’s event, In Conversation with Bez, was an opportunity to learn more about the ‘freaky dancing’ Mancunian. Taking its subtitle from his recent autobiography, the evening was geared towards Bez’s life post-Happy Mondays, whilst giving the necessary background to the career that took him from the Manchester streets to the band that could be said to define Madchester.
Hosted by BBC Introducing York and Humberside’s Jericho Keys, the evening kicked off with opportunities for Bez to reveal some of his background, telling his stories in his own inimitable style. Now, it is fair to say that Bez (aka Mark Berry) is an approachable man of the people, an accessible, down to earth figure; in some ways this may have contributed to some in attendance thinking they could just ‘chip in’ whenever they felt like it. High spirits were understandable to a point, but kudos to host Jericho who handled it well, stepping in when it was clear that some audience members wouldn’t let Bez simply speak uninterrupted. Intelligently fielded questions and well timed nudges kept the evening in flow, amidst humourous stories – deceptively meandering tales that would, when unhindered, land exactly where they meant to land. Bez spoke about his upbringing, how the band found him, and the belief that if he hadn’t had this good fortune to find a career in music, he would have likely ended up in dire circumstances. His realism tinged with an inextinguishable sense of gratitude and positivity is part of what makes him such a likeable and relatable figure, in whatever arena he finds himself in.
Some intriguing tales came in the second half, where questions were able to be fielded from the audience; his environmental concerns and activism efforts are perhaps a lesser known part of his life path, but the passion and vigour with which he spoke about his time in Wales, keeping bees, and then joining anti-fracking campaigners at Barton Moss and running for MP for Salford, made for heartwarming and captivating tales. Bez is also, of course, very funny, and the warm and self-deprecating charm that infused the evening was what really made it a success. That, and the fact that when Bez left, he didn’t really leave – he genuinely stayed in the room, giving folks the chance to speak one to one, to have photos, to connect; and indeed, stayed to chat and socialise for hours, by all accounts ; maybe not quite a 24 hour party, but certainly an extended one.
The evening was well bookended by two local acts. Panic Band eased us in to the spirit with a set of mostly-Oasis covers for the Manchester vibe. Their energy set the mood and they also clearly enjoyed meeting the main man. Afterwards the versatile DJ stylings of HNA (Hannah Velour) had a dancefloor full and in fine form; having been resident in Ibiza over the summer she expertly added the party level to the musical offerings. Between these acts topping and tailing the event, it was a well-rounded evening that proved the versatility of the Crescent Lounge, who regularly host DJ/Club events as well as live gigs, interspersed with these more intimate In Conversation events.
Check out the Crescent Lounge website for more upcoming events from residencies to one-offs and club nights, most of which are free entry; and an upcoming acoustic tribute to Paul Heaton, ‘Old Red Eyes’, on 29th November – tickets £10.
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