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PEOPLE & ARTS Tuesday 9 OcTOber 2018

Why David Byrne started covering a Janelle Monae song

NEW YORK (AP) — After he thought that was so kind
burns down the house dur- of him and of course I said
ing his current concert tour, yes. The song's message
singer David Byrne ends and names mentioned
each show on a serious need to be heard by every
note with a song that calls audience."
attention to minority victims Byrne said he likes that it's
of violence. not a finger-wagging song.
The Janelle Monae cover, "I'm not accusing my audi-
"Hell You Talmbout," is a ence of anything by per-
rhythmic chant that recalls forming it," he said. "Other
people like Freddie Gray, songs in the set allude to
Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner politics and injustice, but
and Sharonda Singleton. this one really says, 'We've
Gray died after a rough entertained you, we are all
ride in a Baltimore police having a great time, but
van, Martin was the Florida there is this as well. Let's not
teen shot by someone who forget the times we live in.'"
thought he looked suspi- Byrne brings his show to a
cious, Garner died after climax with Talking Heads'
being put in a chokehold songs "Burning Down the
by New York police and House" and "The Great
Singleton was killed in the This combination photo shows David Byrne performing at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Curve," and the audience
Festival in New Orleans on April 29, 2018, left, and Janelle Monae performing in Los Angeles on
Charleston, South Carolina, June 28, 2018. roars with approval. The
church shooting. Associated Press reaction to "Talmbout" at
The band's command: "Say a recent New York gig was
his (or her) name." Monae wrote "Hell You lives that have been lost, Somebody," knew he want- notably quieter, although
It's a bold choice for a Talmbout" in 2015 and lives that were taken from ed to perform it. He wrote there was no audible hostil-
66-year-old white man never officially released it, us through injustice, though to Monae, asking how ity. Some audience mem-
playing to venues filled with although video of her per- the song leaves that for the she'd feel about an older, bers have seemed con-
people of a similar age and forming it circulated on- listener to put together. I white guy taking it on. fused by it, particularly at
background. The former line. "Talmbout" is meant love a drum line, so that "If she had said, 'hmmm, I overseas shows.
Talking Heads frontman is as a contraction of "talking aspect of the song sucked dunno,' I would not have Before the song begins,
getting some of the best about." Byrne said he saw me in immediately as well. performed it," he said. he often thanks Monae for
reviews of his career for a a stream of it and loved it The song musically is a cel- Monae, who's 32, gave her letting him perform it, and
strikingly innovative show instantly. ebration and lyrically a eu- blessing. update it with additional
where he's joined by a "Here was a protest song logy. Beautiful." "I was moved that he names.
barefoot band that wears that doesn't hector or Byrne, whose penchant for reached out and asked if His one fear was that peo-
its instruments and is kept preach at us," he said. "It unexpected cover choices he could include the song ple would see the song as
constantly on the move by simply asks us to remember has included Whitney Hous- in his show," Monae told anti-police, but Byrne said
whimsical choreography. and acknowledge these ton's "I Want to Dance with The Associated Press. "I he hasn't seen that.q

Eric Idle on Monty Python, life's brighter side

By MICHAEL HILL hit "Spamalot." was a springboard to British hand insights into the inner
Associated Press There are a few laughs in stage and TV shows. workings of that landmark
"Always Look on the Bright this book, billed as a "sort- In 1969, the BBC round- show will be disappointed.
Side of Life: A Sortabiogra- abiography," but it mostly ed up some other bright They might even wonder if
phy" (Crown Archetype), reads like a casual memoir young performers for a some of the book's pages
by Eric Idle of someone who still can't sketch show so undefined it stuck together, since Idle
Eric Idle has been funny for quite believe his good for- didn't even have a name. barely touches on how the
a very long time. tune. Idle, John Cleese, Michael group of outsized personali-
He gained fame almost 50 Idle is one of those funny Palin, Graham Chapman, ties managed to create so
years ago playing pomp- people who had a miser- Terry Jones and Terry Gil- much lasting comedy.
ous TV hosts and leering able childhood. His father liam toyed with names like A lot of the book is con-
idiots as a member of the survived World War II in "Toad Elevating Moment" sumed with the many fa-
Monty Python comedy the Royal Air Force only to and "Whither Canada?" mous and fabulous people
troupe. While the original die in a traffic accident as before settling on "Monty he hung out with, among
BBC TV show ran for only he was coming home for Python's Flying Circus." them George Harrison and This cover image released by
four seasons, it spawned Christmas in 1945. The boy "We didn't know what we David Bowie. And a lot of Crown Archetype shows "Al-
ways Look on the Bright Side
a bunch of live shows and was eventually packed off were doing and insisted pages are devoted to re- of Life: A Sortabiography," by
several movies, including by his overwhelmed moth- on doing it," Idle writes. The counting his high-profile Eric Idle.
"Life of Brian," which ended er to an orphanage, or show — a mix of absurdity, performances of "Bright Associated Press
with Idle on a crucifix sing- "Ophny" as residents called whimsy and high-brow hu- Side." It gets repetitious.
ing "Always Look on the it. mor— had evolved from But Idle can be insight- the chapter highlights how
Bright Side of Life." He made it into Cambridge British comedy before it, but ful. His chapter about his the book is most interest-
He reprised the tune at the University and — more sig- it was a revelation when it relationship with the late ing when Idle writes about
2012 London Olympics and nificantly — into its perform- crossed to the United States. comedian Robin Williams what he noticed instead of
featured it in his Broadway ing Footlights club, which Readers looking for first- is especially poignant. But listing what he did.q