Born in Bradford, reared on rebel sounds and for a long time ‘the bassist in the band’, when times got tough, Captain Hotknives turned to solo improv work entirely unhindered by concepts such as being able to sing, or making words rhyme. Tackling subjects such as begging, solvent abuse, pigeon hypnosis, skankin yr nana, the pathetic nature of petty racism and the terrible quality of muffins on trains, the lyrics are improvised stories over simple riffs. Mr Knives is apparently sent back from the future to make us laugh at today’s scary things. And we could all do with a bit of that.

Wed 15 Mar at 7.30pm, Hare & Hounds, 106 High Street, Kings Heath, B14 7JZ. £5adv/£7 on door www.skiddle.com