There are few people in the world who can claim to have ever been as cool as George Clinton. Now into his 70s, the founding member of funk's greatest ever exponents can look back on a career, and a life, that few of us will ever match for sheer, unstoppable, eclectic, bizarre technicolour.
Starting out dividing his time as a hairdresser, staff writer for Motown and member of doo wop group The Parliaments, George's career took off in the 70s, when they became simply Parliament (and later, Funkadelic) and embarked on a triple-platinum career revolving around legendary live shows, mind-melting soul food marathons, luminous stage attire and an afro-futurist mythology of astounding scale, incorporating the ongoing adventures of Starchild and his master Dr Funkenstein (the 'intergalactic master of outer space Funk'), and their battle against Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk and his attempts to 'end the Funk' (resulting, naturally in, the Zone of Zero Funkitivity).
Underpinning it all, giving Clinton the licence for all the above, was searing, lascivious funk music of the highest calibre, taking elements of Hendrix, Cream, Led Zeppelin and Frank Zappa and stirring them together into a remarkable career of pioneering funk and 'black rock' music.
This March, then, hosted by the Guardian, Dr Funkenstein himself is coming to Shoreditch to talk us through his life in music, in discussion with Alex Petridis of the paper's music team. Besides some of the wisdom you should expect from a man who has lived and breathed live music for half a century, expect to hear stories you never thought you would about the life and times of a touring 70s funk ensemble, and how those wild days went on to influence artists as diverse as the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Snoop Dogg. Terms like 'icon' and 'legend' are tossed about very easily these days, but rarely has either term been so applicable as they are to Clinton.
Starting out dividing his time as a hairdresser, staff writer for Motown and member of doo wop group The Parliaments, George's career took off in the 70s, when they became simply Parliament (and later, Funkadelic) and embarked on a triple-platinum career revolving around legendary live shows, mind-melting soul food marathons, luminous stage attire and an afro-futurist mythology of astounding scale, incorporating the ongoing adventures of Starchild and his master Dr Funkenstein (the 'intergalactic master of outer space Funk'), and their battle against Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk and his attempts to 'end the Funk' (resulting, naturally in, the Zone of Zero Funkitivity).
Underpinning it all, giving Clinton the licence for all the above, was searing, lascivious funk music of the highest calibre, taking elements of Hendrix, Cream, Led Zeppelin and Frank Zappa and stirring them together into a remarkable career of pioneering funk and 'black rock' music.
This March, then, hosted by the Guardian, Dr Funkenstein himself is coming to Shoreditch to talk us through his life in music, in discussion with Alex Petridis of the paper's music team. Besides some of the wisdom you should expect from a man who has lived and breathed live music for half a century, expect to hear stories you never thought you would about the life and times of a touring 70s funk ensemble, and how those wild days went on to influence artists as diverse as the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Snoop Dogg. Terms like 'icon' and 'legend' are tossed about very easily these days, but rarely has either term been so applicable as they are to Clinton.
What | George Clinton: A Life in Music, hosted by The Guardian |
Where | Amnesty International UK, 25 New Inn Yard, London, EC2A 3EA | MAP |
Nearest tube | Old Street (underground) |
When |
On 16 Mar 15, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM |
Price | £15 (£12 to Guardian members) |
Website | Click here for tickets (via The Guardian) |