The Jade, Sun 6 Mar.

The Fat Man Of Love is Harry van Venetie, who is on stage looking more like Groucho Marx than Tom Waits, which is appropriate because he likes to keep the jokes coming, along with the theatrics that are also a part of Tom Waits. He begins the show by taking a phone call intended for someone called Frank, before launching into the Auld Lang Syne intro of A Sight For Sore Eyes, accompanied only by Richard McDonald on piano.

Harry builds up the band gradually. Declan Horans joins the stage on double bass for Shiver Me Timbers. Charli Holoubek on guitar and Satomi Ohnishi on percussion/drums arrive for (Looking For) The Heart Of Saturday Night and Jersey Girl. Finally Schmoe enters, fumbles and drops his sheet music before joining the band for a blistering Romeo Is Bleeding.

More theatrics – a hooded sound mixer fires some gunshots at the singer (every sound guy’s dream!) and Harry lights his face with a torch to recite Small Change with only Schmoe accompanying. The band return for a bit of audience participation for Clap Hands – which also allows Charli Holoubek to release a bit of his inner Marc Ribot.

A sublime version of Invitation To The Blues follows. Harry van Venete looks and sounds like he has lived in these songs for a long time, which of course he has.

We are taken out with a trio of Rain Dogs songs, Singapore, Jockey Full Of Bourbon and Down Town Train. Nothing later, but it’s a big catalogue and only a one hour show. If ever Tom Waits needs his voice back he could always give Harry van Venete a call!