Mr Bewlay releases video for his Black Reason EP; loses clothes and hair.
Back in March 2023 we reviewed Mr Bewlay’s Black Reason EP here, and were mightily impressed. In order to ‘tie up loose ends’, as he puts it, Mr Bewlay has filmed a live performance to mark the end of this particular cycle in his career. He promises ‘colour, destruction and a fair bit of nudity’.
The video provides that and more, but more importantly it showcases a performer who, well, actually knows how to perform. How much you can learn to be a great front man, and how much just has to be natural talent, is a point that can be argued, but what is sure, is that you have to make it look natural, no artifice. Whilst Bewlay clearly has an interest in art and theatre performance, utilising them to great effect in this video, his natural charisma and showmanship shine through. It’s natural ability plus hard work.
Opening with Bewlay The Tormentor, the singer stands with cloak and hat, barely moving as the band rock out the tune. He is the centre of the storm with restrained power, the viewer watches him waiting, almost nervously, for him to explode into action. With his facial make-up cum warpaint, he is a cross between Jaz Coleman and Colonel Kurtz. The band are tight, energetic and what a fucking great bass sound.
After a growling, snarling and screaming version of Bass Is The Beast, an assistant appears on stage to remove Bewlay’s clothes, whilst the band play a musical interlude, and dress him in a glorious kimono. Once suitably attired, the band start playing Samurai Dancer, and Bewlay commences to throw shapes about the stage, the flowing kimono making him appear like some exotic, fluttering butterfly.
The kimono stays in place for an energetic version of Live, Life, Love, before the assistant arrives on stage to remove Bewlay’s attire down to just a towel around his midriff. But that’s not all, whilst the band go into a psychedelic jam, the assistant cuts Bewlay’s hair, leaving strands scattered about the stage like the set of a prison yard, or first day in boot camp. Thankfully, the stage assistant clearly knows how to shear a head, and Bewlay emerges to grind out Compound Interest with a manic, possessed verve.
The band deserves crediting: Guitar – Tom Emlyn, Bass – Sam Duval, Drums – Karl Horanszky. The video was filmed at Cardiff’s Sustainable Studios by Redbrck. The stage assistant is Max Winchester. But the heart and soul of the video is Bewlay Jones himself, surely a star in the making?
Bewlay says that as a teenager he used to read Louder Than War and imagine himself being reviewed by the site. He said: “I went through a phase where I had to listen to the most underground, weirdest, most obscure Post Punk I could find. Louder than War scratched that itch for me!”
Now he has two reviews in Louder Than War under his belt, and I’m sure there will be many more to come.
You can find Mr Bewlay on Linktree.
All words by Mark Ray. More writing by Mark Ray can be found at his author archive. And he can be found on X, Instagram and WordPress
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