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COLONEL MUSTARD Big pop, disco funk and more as the Colonel hosts two shows at this year’s Fringe
A joyous mix of big pop songs, funk and audience participation, Colonel Mustard & the Dijon 5 are one of the most consistently entertaining bands in Scotland. ‘It’s obviously eclectic, we can go from dance music to country to punk to disco to rock’n’roll,’ explains the Colonel himself when we catch up with him on the road to the Belladrum festival near Inverness. ‘I like making every song a different genre, exploring the music I love.’ Weird costumes, disco balls, mass
dance routines and all manner of weirdness combine for a truly uplifting live show. ‘From day one I wanted this band to be the go-to festival band. Let’s dress up, get the crowd involved with every song, get out into the audience,
get them on stage. Even when we were playing to just 20 people, that was the ethos with this band from the start. As we’ve got bigger, the scale has got bigger, but we obviously want to maintain that connection with the audience.’ The Colonel is particularly busy this August with two shows at the Fringe. The fi rst is a kids’ show, Colonel Mustard and the Big Bad Wolf, directed by Andy Arnold and Christina Gordon. It also features the song ‘I’m a Vegetarian and I Don’t Like to Talk About It’ which went top ten in the Apple kids chart. ‘Because I don’t come from the acting world, I’ve made it more like gig theatre,’ he explains. ‘The actors and directors reign me in a bit but I’ve put my own
stamp on it from what the Dijon 5 do live. Basically, it’s a fairy tale set in a nursing home, exploring different themes like not writing old people off, the power of music and don’t judge a book by its cover with a few modern messages like don’t spend too much time on your phone.’ As well as entertaining the little ones, the Colonel also has a late-night show, featuring variety and cabaret with special guests, music, comedy, spoken word and more. ‘Basically it’s going to be a big party. (Henry Northmore) ■ Colonel Mustard and the Big Bad Wolf, Gilded Balloon Teviot, 15–18 Aug, noon, £9 (£7; family £28); Colonel Mustard and Friends, Gilded Balloon at the Museum, 16, 18–22, 25 Aug, 10.30pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10).
14–26 Aug 2019 THE LIST FESTIVAL 73