Jonathan Richman by the sea

Cult songwriter Jonathan Richman is set to play an extended set at tonight’s (Thursday) long-awaited Brighton show.

The Modern Lovers’ founder performs at Coalition from 7.30pm, accompanied by drummer Tommy Larkins. Larkins is a regular collaborator with Richman, and appeared alongside him in their musical narration of the hit Jim Carrey movie There’s Something About Mary.

Richman formed The Modern Lovers in early 70s New York, performing charming garage rock&roll songs inspired by The Velvet Undergound (whose John Cale produced their early 1972 demos) and Richman’s beloved New England birthplace. A few years later, The Modern Lovers were being hailed as punk forerunners (one of the first songs The Sex Pistols covered was Richman’s timeless Roadrunner), but Richman had already moved on into far gentler, acoustic, childlike music (famously including a cover of nursery favourite the Wheels On The Bus on 1977’s Rock ‘n’ Roll With The Modern Lovers album).

Subsequent albums have seen Richman tackling country music (Jonathan Goes Country, 1990) and Spanish language tunes (Jonathan, Te Vas a Emocionar, 1994; A Que Venimos Sino A Caer, 2008) with bucketfuls of warmth and charm.

Tonight’s show is a very rare Brighton date for Jonathan Richman, as his British tours are few and far between. A handful of tickets are still available for £17.50 (£19.50 on the door), see www.meltingvinyl.co.uk for details.

Jonathan Richman at Coalition, Brighton, starts 7.30pm sharp (October 7). There is no support act, just lots of Jojo.