BWW Reviews: L'ORCHESTRE d'HOMMES-ORCHESTRES PERFORMS TOM WAITS, Purcell Room, Southbank Centre, July 4 2013

That room/shed/garage of clutter that seems to expand of its own accord always includes plenty of things you would be quite happy to bash as hard as you can. Try it one day - it's therapeutic. After a bit of bashing, you might even be able to bring yourself to throw some of the junk away - but that's always difficult.Too difficult for Canadian collective, L'Orchestre d'Hommes-Orchestres (LODHO), who decided to gather all that stuff, herd it on to a stage and use it to play Tom Waits songs.

If that brings back memories of Roy Castle playing one hundred instruments in two minutes on "Record Breakers" or Derek Guyler knocking out a tune on his washboard, you're right in the sense that LODHO are also accomplished musicians who can really play, but wrong in every other way. LOHDO's humour is surreal, creating a presence that looks at times like a Giorgio de Chirico painting brought to life. Two men playing one ukelele, frying pans as drums hit by a golf club threaded through an old motorcycle helmet, melodicas played by balloons - LODHO do all that and much, much more!

This madcappery is rooted in some fine songs, sung and played well on conventional instruments battling for earspace with the clutter-stuff. Tom Waits' back catalogue is about as esoteric as it comes, and that allows the muscians (and, especially, the excellent New Cackle Sisters, a pair of rather Miss Jean Brodie figures who help and hinder as they see fit) to perform in any number of styles - even, and take this as a warning, yodelling.

Not all of it works - when the singers essay their takes on Waits' unique vocal stylings, it felt a little too close for comfort to Stars in their Eyes - but LOHDO pile enough into their two-hour show to last twelve hours and, when er... Closing Time, comes round, you're left marvelling at the versatility of the musicians and the flexibility of the songs. The tumultous ovations from the usually rather staid Purcell Room is the last improvised sound of the evening.

L'Orchestre d'Hommes-Orchestres performs Tom Waits is at the Southbank Centre until 7 July.

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