Duchess, York
29/05/11
Unique in both name and reputation, Captain Sensible exudes an enigmatic quality that is engaging and fun to watch. Surrounded by a strong cult following, Sensible treated his fans to a rare performance of epic magnitudes. A decent example of dogmatic punk, the artist’s energetic rock has a retro ’80s cool.
When I arrived at The Duchess, the venue was filled intimately with a raft of middle-aged adults wearing tight leather jackets, and even tighter leather trousers. There was a stir of excitement in the air as the supporting act had finished and it became time for the Captain to perform. When he approached the stage wearing what could only be described as a French militant mime outfit, he was met with a vigorous round of cheers. The humble yet very charismatic man introduced himself and began his punk rock journey down memory lane. I had never seen or even heard of Captain Sensible before, but I really enjoyed his politically charged anthems. Songs such as ‘It’s a Sporting Life’ and ‘The Love Policemen’, really seemed to unite the crowd and get people moving and shaking.
Not typically a genre of music I would listen to, I think I liked the gig mainly because of its combination of audience participation and Monty, the band’s keyboard player. I really loved watching the audience sing vehemently along to the radical songs of their youth, despite the slight tinge of irony that their enthusiasm for the youthfully optimistic lyrics seemed to carry. Technically a washed up has-been, Captain Sensible proves that he’s still got whatever made him appealing all those years ago. All in all, the gig was an entertaining joy ride of catchy riffs and head tilting madness – I’m glad I now know about Captain Sensible.