It's Coming Home: Jerskin Fendrix Returns to The Windmill [PENNY 4.2]
- Erin Christie
- 5 hours ago
- 4 min read
Show Review by Erin Christie
This piece originates from the brand new Penny print issue, Penny 4.2. Find links to read the printed version below, with this piece starting on page 18.
The night I went to see Jerskin Fendrix (aka Joscelin Dent-Pooley) return to The Windmill in Brixton on one of his two heavily sold-out nights there, American public persona and Trump affiliate Charlie Kirk was shot while speaking at a rally in Utah, United States. As probably the only American present in the 150-capacity room that evening, I was shocked, and also pleased, to hear enthused whispers of “he’s actually dead!” reverberating through the back of the crowd in the midst of the set’s second half, following the night’s pre-planned 30-minute smoke break. This and all else considered, what I found that evening at The Windmill was uncanny, jubilant, home-y, and exactly what I had hoped for.
As per Setlist.fm, Jerskin Fendrix regularly haunted The Windmill throughout 2017 and 2018, coinciding with Dent-Pooley’s era in London band Famous, and pre-dating the arrival of his 2020 Jerskin Fendrix debut album, Winterreise. It’s very possible that the venue’s charm has been lost on Dent-Pooley and on most local attendees too, but on my first occasion seeing a show there as a starstruck American Speedy Wunderground fan, I was captivated as if I had stepped into a movie set, a storied concert hall I’d only witnessed via Instagram concert footage.
Tinsel party streamers hung loosely from the ceiling above Dent-Pooley’s head as he sat across a Baby Grand, and layers of posters from gigs forthcoming and long passed decorated the room around him — a few I noticed advertised The Orchestra (For Now), Radio Free Alice, and Kate Clover. The space was also absolutely not air-conditioned (but why would it be?), lending to the crowd’s comfortable incubation and my need to continually blot my upper lip in between sips of my Estrella Galicia 0,0. Post-set, I met the venue’s current-generation “Roof Dog”, who was given a special ‘Jerskin Fendrix 2025’ tennis ball to play with as a parting gift. Each of my expectations were met, if not exceeded.
Beyond my personal joy at being at The Windmill, it was heartwarming to imagine how Dent-Pooley must have felt being there for those two nights, returning to a place he’d played so many times years before with the promise that the “big things” he had been striving for back then already having come true in large part thanks to his “lucrative side hustle” in film composition.
“I’ll give you what you asked for so you feel as though you’ve got your money’s worth”, Dent-Pooley laughed decently into the set, launching reluctantly into “Bella”, a memorable cut from his original score for the 2023 Yorgos Lanthimos film, ‘Poor Things’ (which earned him both Academy Award and Golden Globe nods, as well as a win for ‘Best Original Film Score’ at the Ivor Novello Awards in 2024).
What’s lost on those only aware of Dent-Pooley in the context of composition is how individual, heartwarmingly funny, and masterfully executed his solo musical work as Jerskin Fendrix truly is, as emphasized on the new album, ‘Once Upon a Time … in Shropshire’ (due October 10). Notably absent from his compositions, Dent-Pooley’s vocal range is undeniable, and hearing him perform live with the same ferocity as his recordings, despite the stripped-down nature of the show, magnified the wonder he evokes. As the set closed with his newest single “Together Again”, his easy grasp on quick-witted storytelling and masterful vocal tone-switching shone particularly bright. Later, a cheeky cover of “Reflection” (from the 1998 Disney film ‘Mulan’) was somehow in perfectly good company thematically, met with hushed chuckles as the crowd imagined Dent-Pooley pining to be the “perfect daughter”.
From where I stood throughout the night — wedged between a post, a group of trendy and in-the-know London music enjoyers, and a gaggle of the obvious film-nerds Dent-Pooley meant to address earlier in the evening— it simply made sense why these two shows were organized in the first place: to bring things full circle. Returning to The Windmill helped connect Dent-Pooley to his roots and allowed for a return to the way things used to be — as does his new album, which pays homage to his upbringing in the West Midlands bordering Wales. There, Dent-Pooley’s newfound Hollywood recognition didn’t cease to exist, but it wasn’t the point of discussion, nor the purpose of attendance – instead, he was allowed to just BE, and celebrate his growth in the most genuine way possible. It was a beautiful, full-circle moment, and one I felt honored to witness.