Musician Jarvis Cocker is back with with two new covers, taking on The Fall’s “Big New Prinz” from their 1988 studio album I Am Kurious Oranj and The Velvet Underground’s “Venus In Furs” from their iconic The Velvet Underground & Nico. These covers were performed alongside Cocker’s new group JARV IS… as part of an exhibition in honor of dancer and choreographer Michael Clark, which took place at The Barbican Centre in London.
This performance was captured by Andy Hui and shows the artist performing the the songs against a backdrop showcasing Clark’s works and various art pieces. His cover of “Venus In Furs” channels the cryptic feel of the original, as the strings give the song a dark, yet folk like undertone, while Cocker delivers the lyrics in a pastoral manner. His cover of “Big New Prinz” captures the post-punk spirit of the original, with an added psychedelic feel.
During the latter part of the performance he played “Further Complications,” the title track from his 2009 record and “House Music All Night Long,” from JARV IS…’s latest studio album Beyond The Pale. The band also released funky single from the project called “Save The Whale,” back in June.
“Take a look for yourself. Walk around, and slowly it will start to dawn on you, as it did on me: Dance is the language of the human body. And nobody speaks it better than Michael Clark,” Cocker stated regarding the exhibition.
In 2019 an online petition attempted to get Cocker’s hit 2006 single “Running The World,” to the number one spot on the UK Billboard charts by Christmas. As result of this campaign and the 2019 UK elections, Cocker released a new version of the single featuring the Kaiser Quartett.
Leave a Comment