The Irrepressibles’ Mirror Mirror Spectacle
When I experience genuine reverence for a band, it is my solemn duty to immediately share with the people of Coilhouse. Enter The Irrepressibles: a UK 10-piece that has combined all that is grand about glam, baroque, and pop, wrapped it into a beautiful, melodramatic performance package and released it into the world in early 2010 with an album titled Mirror Mirror.
Lead singer and chief saboteur Jaimie McDermott’s countertenor wails and whispers amidst the accompanying orchestral rush in the video below. Recorded at The Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, the “Mirror Mirror Spectacle” presents the group as enchanted music-box ballerinas in origami ruffs, playing in mirrors and flickering lights.
Yes, he is singing his own name in the chorus, what of it?
Mc Dermott’s passion for the theatrical translates into performances so daring, in 2005 they cost him the entire first incarnation of the band. Fortunately, these days he seems to be managing his imagination [and his ego] more successfully. From a report in The Guardian UK:
Recently, they presented an “air spectacle” in Italy, which involved “1,000 balloons, LED lights, 21 fans and costumes made from plastic bags from Leylands”. They have performed in the middle of a lake at the Latitude festival in Southwold, and floated 10 metres off the ground at the Roundhouse in London. It’s reached a point, says McDermott, where “my band have written in their contract that they can say no to me. They’re scared about what I’m going to do to them next.”
Here’s hoping The Irrepressibles tour the world and record at least a few more albums before their leading man accidentally shoots the lot of them into space. Meanwhile, we can buy Mirror Mirror, and keep up with them on Facebook and Twitter.
December 30th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Oh yes. This is going to be my weekend soundtrack. Thank you for sharing Zo!
December 30th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
This was amazing Zoe…thanks for sharing this…beautiful
December 30th, 2010 at 3:46 pm
I love these guys! Fun Coilhouse fact: back when we were preparing for Issue 03, Mildred actually put together a huge article about them. I believe she interviewed all of them, and there had been an epic photoshoot arranged, but then the shoot got rescheduled to a date that was too late, so it never happened. :(
I really wish that article had come to light!
December 30th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by John Coulthart, Zoetica Ebb. Zoetica Ebb said: A post on @Coilhouse about that band I've had on repeat for two days now: http://bit.ly/h6pVlu SO GOOD. […]
December 30th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
Freya and Wayne – happy to share, these guys are so good!
Nadya- Mil just told me about that on FB, imagine my surprise! Her piece sounded amazing. I so wish it had been ready, in part because I wish I’d heard of The Irrepressables sooner.
December 31st, 2010 at 5:53 pm
Oh, Zo…
:: heart exploding ::
January 1st, 2011 at 2:12 am
EBB.
Thank you. THIS is the way to ring in the new year.
2011 will be fucking amazing.
January 9th, 2011 at 8:37 am
I was skimming through the site at 3am here in Sydney Australia. Just as I was ready to hit the sack, I found this video and now… well, now I wont be getting any sleep at all tonight.
Thank you so much!