Signposts Underground: May 2026
Look. I know I said this was going to be monthly. It's not that I lied; it's more a combination of a) Supersonic (part 2 is on the way), and b) I’m staring down 40, my life is sedentary, middle-aged spread is encroaching… yes, I’ve started going to the gym. I’m genuinely sorry. Consider this column my penance.
ICHI, Cambridge, May 2026. ©1MU
Peter Frampton Whoopee Cushion
A man walks out on stage wearing a cymbal for a hat, red overalls, and a harmonica in his mouth. He's playing a melody, but he needs a beat. So he finds a ping pong ball and a racket and starts bouncing the ball in time with the melody. When the racket no longer fits his purpose, he swaps it for a hand drum, and the beat continues. He hands someone in the audience the racket, and the two start volleying the ball.
He does all of this on stilts.
This is how ICHI, instrument builder and busker from Nagoya, emerged on stage in Cambridge as part of his 2026 UK tour, to a matinee audience of families with children and one man a long way from his bunker. It was the start of a joyful hour's entertainment, presented out of a literal handcart full of props and instruments.
Anchored around a set of steel drums and a xylophone (or glockenspiel? I forget the difference), the set comprised a dozen or so songs, skits, and opportunities for audience interaction and laugh-out-loud demonstrations of his DIY creations, all emerging from his ramshackle handcart. These included a set of bagpipes made of a disassembled vacuum cleaner; a combination harp and horn; a banjo, which also doubled as one of his stilts; a vuvuzela played with a deflating exercise ball; and my favorite, a whoopee cushion transformed into a Peter Frampton-esque talkbox.
It’s tempting to call this a comedy show, but despite being one of the most Japanese things you will ever see or hear, I cannot help but link it to the golden era of mid-20th century British variety—a time when eccentrics with one party piece could make a lifelong career out of performing their turn at the piers and working men’s clubs of the UK. At its worst, it was the kind of stuff Stuart Millard might use as fodder. At its best, it’s people like ICHI, finding a very specific niche and practicing it to absurdist perfection, delighting audiences of all ages in the process.
ICHI tours the world over. Find him when you can. Until then, check out his quite bonkers 2016 album 'Maru.'
Sheree Rose, an LA-based artist, dominatrix, photographer, counter-cultural icon, and, I hope she won't mind me saying, friend, changed my life. One day I will explain how. Until then, educate yourself with two things—the book ‘Rated RX’, and the upcoming movie 'Dom Mom,' directed by her son Matthew Levin. Find out more and fund its completion here.
“All books are total shit” - an author
If Kim Noble is to be believed, releasing a book is his last-ditch attempt at cultural relevance. He is not, however, the most reliable narrator.
Kim Noble, London, May 2026. ©1MU
Noble is an artist, comedian, podcaster, cleaner, occasional actor ("Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace" and "The Mighty Boosh"), and, quoting his publisher, a “raging genius.” Mining mental ill-health, failed relationships, and familial grief, he created a trio of highly acclaimed, deeply disturbing, hysterically funny multimedia stand-up theater shows between 2008 and 2022. Blurring the line between prank, situationist live art, comedy, confessional, and video art, Kim's work is never forgotten once seen.
Now he has published a possibly autobiographical graphic novel—'In Pursuit Of A Wonderful Nothing.' I was lucky enough to attend the launch in Central London, a warehouse installed with art, sculpture, and video (including a detailed critique of the grammar and typos by his own mother); enough free wine to offset my train fare; and the detritus of decades of work that has finally found itself in print.
Literary critcism. ©1MU
At the heart of the evening, visitors were treated to the premiere of the book’s accompanying performance. I’d love to tell you all about Kim’s one-man show, but beyond noting that the phrase “eat your words” was made severely literal, Wayne Rooney apparently has some strong views on the nature of words, and fans of the literary works of hypnotist Paul McKenna, tennis player Billie Jean King, and farming cunt Jeremy Clarkson might take umbrage... I will offer no spoilers. See him on the book tour instead. If you’re lucky, Hugh Skinner from Fleabag will sign your book.
Published by Cheerio.
A flirtatious 2008 email exchange with a Finnish gallery curator, in which the idea of a book is first suggested, ends abruptly. This book explores the years since, and his attempts to reconnect with her, pining for the love and opportunities she represents. This takes the form of a bountiful archive of Noble's work, covering key moments from his live shows and highlights of his deranged Instagram feed, including his efforts to get his then-girlfriend to piss on his head in public; finding an unwilling artistic muse in a supermarket cashier named Keith; working at B&Q for months on end without permission; repurposing traffic signs; and drop-lifting absurdist and obscene items onto high street shelves.
This is, I think, his most accessible work to date. By using digital, pencil, and watercolor techniques to beautifully illustrate these often deeply disturbing acts and interactions, he has somewhat removed them from the real-world context that can create an uncomfortable (if delicious) intimacy between artist and audience. That he does this while still maintaining his prankish blend of melancholy, humor (the book has many laugh-out-loud moments), and biting self-deprecation shows serious skill that deserves wider appreciation. For fans, meanwhile, they don’t need me to say that this is an essential purchase. Either way, buy it now.
Contents. ©1MU
In a ‘Where’s Waldo’ type of situation, I appear 3 times in this book. Leave a comment if you can find me.
Other signposts:
In 1991, “Rock and roll’s greatest failure” John Otway and multi-instrumentalist punk poet Attila The Stockbroker recorded "Cheryl: A Rock Opera." Now, for the first time in decades, they’re performing it live. Expect it at Rebellion, the Edinburgh Fringe, and at Camden’s Dublin Castle on Sunday 5 July (47 tickets left at time of writing), where you might find me and The Good Lady Punk Connoisseur lurking…
Sparks has made a knock-off Jansport Backpack. Get in touch if you’d like to buy me one.
The late outsider singer-songwriter Ed Askew’s posthumous final album, featuring guest appearances from Sharon Van Etten and Bill Callahan, is released by Drag City in July. There will be tears.
One of the highlights of visiting Japan last year was seeing Lightning Bolt-esque duo DEERMAN2 in a tiny Kyoto venue. Their debut album, 'watashihane,' just dropped on streaming. It’s already one of my favourites of the year.
Neil Breen—architect, filmmaker, and messiah—has just premiered his new film in LA. ‘Dire Duplicity’ looks like a serious return to whatever classws as form for a man best known for making some of the most hilariously awful films ever made. I anticipate its arrival at the Prince Charles Cinema any day now…
Is there something I should know about? Leave a comment, or get in touch with tips and bribes:
