Hecklergigs – Thomas Truax @ The Cumberland Arms, Newcastle 23/4

Thomas who? While Mr Truax is not quite the household name that he should be, he had the 100 capacity crowd last night in the palm of his hand as he wowed the audience with his unique and certainly original blend of kooky contraptions and one-off style of performing. 

Regular readers of the 'spray will know that we have already thoroughly recommended him before in our shaky MySpace Trawl feature, but now came the chance to see the one-man band that is Thomas Truax in action. Probably the best performer in the world – don’t sue us for nicking that line, Carlsberg. 

Last time we were allowed out the house to go to a gig, it was strangely to see the karaoke efforts of The Sugababes. While that was a unique experience for various reasons, last night's gig showcased a unique talent that has yet to be unleashed to the world.  

Thomas Truax is not your typical singer songwriter. Although the traditional instruments of guitar and, to an extent, the human voice are utilised, a whole manner of other devices that look like they could be used to extract small pieces of flesh from the human body also come out to play. The instruments Truax has created resemble items that have come out of a madman's laboratory - and who's to say they haven't? Over the course of this creation, he has given birth to the Sister Spinster, Hornicator and newly-created Mary Poppins. Each looks as if it's been slapped together with duct tape and powered with a few batteries. But on closer look, many wires and bits of tube and stuff we’re not even sure about hang off, but it all falls in to place.

When we asked how long it took to create one contraption, Truax answered “I’m still working on it.” Probably evident by the fact that when we arrived, Thomas was sitting on stage hurriedly trying to fix one part of an instrument before breaking something else. Even the most accomplished guitar tech would be stumped by the insides of the Sister Spinster. This contraption has many metal sticks which turn in rhythm to hit bells and other bits and pieces stuck on to it. It sounds like it shouldn’t work. But it does. 

This latest tour is to promote his third album Why Dogs Howl At The Moon and it's just as unique as his previous two releases. Most tracks played tonight were from this record and new to the majority of the crowds. But the way he delivered them and encouraged audience interaction made them feel like they were old classics, starting with the first track from the new album Escape From New York City. The song seems more like a frustration piece about his home city. With the repeated lyrics of the end of “There’s a Starbucks on every corner, there’s a Starbucks on every corner,” it was almost a comedy postmodern rant on how our culture is slowly being swallowed up by overpriced and naff-tasting coffee chains. 

Despite being on his own, Truax managed to produce a sound that made it feel like there was a full band present, as he sampled various bits of music, be it him tapping on the Hornicator, using a battery fan on the guitar or a comb to rub against strings attached to another one of his contraptions. More craziness involved him leading the crowd through the fire exit at the back of the venue, leading them around the front and back through the main entrance to the room again. Bonkers, but a unique way of doing things. Oh, and there’s the part when one song was done standing on top of the bar to the confused looks of the people standing nearby. 

Overall, an amazing night and one that can’t be beaten. Watching bands simply stand around on stage doing nothing is going to be a letdown from now on. At least listen to the samples on iTunes to get a small taste of what Thomas Truax is all about. He is one of the rare few acts these days who must be seen to be believed.