Wednesday 07/11/07 BC Camplight @ Brighton Freebutt

Imposing and intriguing frontman Brian Christinzio, strolls on stage showcasing his smart looking bowler hat and suit, sits behind a beaten up wooden box with BC Camplight messily stencilled on to the front, and begins singing with such range and humility, that from that moment on you can’t take your eyes off him. Which is a damn shame, as his touring band is a massively talented bunch and share his wonderfully eccentric manner.

Guitarist Josh Olmstead looks effortlessly French, complete with cravat, and still manages to keep his style in tact whilst changing guitar string for show closing stormer. Gorgeous backing vocals and sometime xylophone noise come from soulful Stephanie Vernacchio. Drummer Dave sits back and relaxes his way through the set until closing track, where he stands and beats the drums as if it’s his last minute on Earth. And bassist Dave Hartley seems intent on playing in his own world, until he releases this incredible vocal talent on last song and obvious highlight of the night. Not because it’s the last song of course. No, I could watch this band for hours, and still be amazed at the range of talent and genius song writing ability. In part due to Christinzio’s time spent in friends’ mental hospitals researching for brilliant new album Blink of a Nihilist. This man truly is like no other. Somehow writing tunes that wouldn’t be out of place on the Napoleon Dynamite soundtrack, whilst sounding like The Shins, somehow giving a heady mix of cruise ship glamour and switching instantaneously to a circus freak show, and Modest Mouse, and back again. And all the while charming the pants off the audience by taking requests, soothing us with a lullaby softness, and then in his own words “blowing your ****ing face off!”

We have a genius in our midst.