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By: Eamon Foley
Buck 65 :: 03.27.08 :: Dingwalls :: London, UK
Buck 65 (aka Richard Terfry) played Dingwalls, a London comedy club, while on a two month European tour promoting his latest album Situation. Traveling solo and armed with only an i-Pod, Buck 65 is as far from the traditional jam band definition as one could be. Nonetheless, his clever wordplay and ability to put on a good show deserves mention.
Fitting for the venue, Buck displayed a strong sense of humor and confident stage presence. Interaction with the sold out crowd was plentiful, with frequent between-song banter. He tried to make amends for his lack of a live band with a performance that is somewhat theatrical and veered at times towards cabaret.
In a barren, sparsely decorated venue, his stripped-down, minimal one-man show matched the aesthetics. Apart from a little bit of on-the-spot marching and fistfuls of glitter (seriously!), there wasn't much to his performance, the majority of which was spent standing still and rhyming over his beats. It's clear he doesn't take himself too seriously but peering past the Scissor Sisters impressions, there's a clever artist to be enjoyed.
Buck 65 is one of the wittiest lyricists around today, though he may not always cover the deepest, darkest subject matters, preferring instead to rhyme about topics such as his favorite food. To this he adds catchy, funky beats that deserve more plaudits than he gets.
Not many white hip-hop artists can claim to have showered themselves with pockets of glitter on stage, but Buck 65 is his own man and produces his own show. He bears a slight similarity to Eminem with his clever lyrics and oft tongue-in-cheek act, this despite eclectic referencing of acts likes Leonard Cohen, Johnny Cash and Radiohead as his inspirations. These influences don't always shine through, but nonetheless I enjoyed his inventive wordplay and general good spirits. It's all a lot of fun to listen to and this night the crowd were into it, but for me, live, it fell short.
JamBase | England
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