Radiohead album artwork inspires 'stunning' winning dish on BBC's Great British Menu
It's going through to the banquet
Chef Nick Beardshaw won the fish course on BBC cooking show Great British Menu last night (28th March) with an incredible dish inspired by Stanley Donwood’s artwork to Radiohead’s 2016 album ‘A Moon Shaped Pool.’
The 18th series of the elite cooking show Great British Menu celebrates the best of British animation and illustration, inspired by the 65th anniversary of Paddington Bear.
The winners from the regional heats of the competition are going head-to-head all this week to earn a coveted place at the banquet.
While many of the dishes throughout the series have been inspired by cartoons, paintings, comic books, graffiti and computer games, 37-year-old Nick Beardshaw drew inspiration from the cover of Radiohead’s most recent album.
Long-time Radiohead collaborator Stanley Donwood created the 'A Moon Shaped Pool' album artwork by experimenting with weather, leaving canvases outdoors to allow rain and the elements to affect the paint.
Nick Beardshaw, who is head chef at Kerridge's Bar & Grill in London, embraced these themes with his dish of the same name, A Moon Shaped Pool.
The scallop dish utilised a layer of gelatine that melted away when the Thai green curry style sauce was poured over it, revealing the pool.
In the fish course final last night, A Moon Shaped Pool scored a perfect score of 40 out of 40 from main judges Tom Kerridge, Nisha Katona, Ed Gamble and guest judge Peter Lord.
Ed Gamble commented: “It’s an absolutely outstanding dish. It blew us away on every level. On every sensory level, the link to the theme was incredible. People at the banquet are going to absolutely love it.”
Writing on Instagram, Nick Beardshaw explained the concept of the dish: “I always liked the idea of things not being all that they seem. I wanted the dish to be completely hidden with a reveal moment when the sauce is poured on.
“With the help of @rewthink we designed a prop that looked like an album on a shelf, that housed a bowl with the dish in underneath. The album was two pieces of acrylic with a hole where the “pool” is so I could create a layer that would melt. Initially I tried cocoa butter sheets but these turned out to be too temperamental. I settled on a gelatine sheet (inspired by edible gelatine sweet wrappers) and this turned out to be the one. When the sauce is poured the pool melts away, a mini piece of animation in itself, revealing the dish and the aroma from underneath.
“When creating the art for this Stanley wanted to create art that was less figurative and more a product of chance. He even went as far as leaving the canvases outside in the elements. The way the sheets melt and patterns form in a random and organic way is my nod to this.”
18 bands named after songs by other bands, including Radiohead:
Judas Priest
British heavy metal legends Judas Priest took inspiration for their brilliant name from the Bob Dylan song 'The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest' from his 1967 album 'John Wesley Harding.' The moniker was the idea of early Judas Priest bassist Brian 'Bruno' Stapenhill who exited the band in 1970 before they had laid down any recordings.
Deep Purple
Initially called Roundabout, the rock legends initially toyed with band names including Orpheus, Concrete God and Sugarlump but eventually settled on Deep Purple; taken from the 1933 Peter DeRose piano composition. The song was a huge favourite of Ritchie Blackmore's grandmother and she would often perform it on piano throughout Ritchie's childhood.
Mr Big
In 1988, Eric Martin, Billy Sheehan, Paul Gilbert and the late-great Pat Torpey named their new band after the Free song 'Mr. Big', which appeared on their breakthrough 1970 album 'Fire and Water'. Mr. Big later covered 'Mr. Big' on their third studio album 'Bump Ahead' in 1993.
Motörhead
After being dismissed from Hawkwind in 1975 following an arrest for drug possession in Canada, Lemmy started his own self-professed "fast and vicious" band and took the name Motörhead from the final song he had penned for Hawkwind just a few months earlier, 'Motorhead'. Two years later, Motörhead re-recorded 'Motorhead' as the opening track on their eponymous debut album.
Poison
Originally called Paris upon their formation in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania in 1983, singer Bret Michaels, guitarist Matt Smith, bassist Bobby Dall and drummer Rikki Rockett wisely ditched their tame sounding band name in favour of 'Poison'; a nod to the 1981 track 'Poison' by glam metallers 'Sinner'.
Nazareth
The Scottish hard rock veterans were called the Shadettes upon their formation in the late 1960s but were unhappy with what they perceived to be a 'lightweight' name. They decided to hit a boozer to discuss a new name when 'The Weight' by The Band started playing through the bar's soundsystem. Upon hearing the opening line "I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin' about half past dead", bassist Pete Agnew suggested 'Nazareth' and the band agreed. The rest, they say, is history.
Volbeat
Danish rockers Volbeat took their name from the 1997 studio album 'Vol.Beat' by singer Michael Poulsen's previous band, the death metal act Dominus.
The Rolling Stones
Founder and original band leader Brian Jones gave The Rolling Stones their moniker after the 1950 Muddy Waters track 'Rollin' Stone'. The fledgling group played their first show as The Rolling Stones on 12th July 1962, at the famous Marquee Club in London.
Sepultura
The idea of former guitarist, singer and co-founding band member Max Cavalera, the Brazilian metallers called themselves Sepultura, which is the Portuguese word for "grave". Max took inspiration from one of his favourite songs, Motörhead's 'Dancing On Your Grave.'
Radiohead
Founded in Oxford in mid-1980s, Radiohead were originally called On A Friday in reference to their music rehearsal day at Abingdon School. When they signed a six-album deal with EMI in 1991, the imprint implored them to change their name and they ultimately took their band name from the song 'Radio Head' from Talking Heads' 1986 album 'True Stories'.
Bad Brains
Washington DC punks Bad Brains named themselves after the Ramones track 'Bad Brain', which appears on their 1978 album 'Road To Ruin'.
Lady Gaga
Stefani Germanotta's stage name is derived from the Queen classic 'Radio Ga Ga'. Producer Rob Fusari claims to have been the person who coined 'Lady Gaga' in the mid-noughties when they worked together.
At The Drive-In
Influential post-hardcore noisemakers At The Drive-In got their moniker from a line in Poison's 1987 single 'Talk Dirty To Me' – "Cause baby we'll be / At the drive-in / In the old man's ford / Behind the bushes / Till I'm screamin' for more." The name was guitartist Jim Ward's suggestion shortly after the band former in 1993.
Seether
Formed in South Africa in 1999 as Saron Gas, the band ditched the name as their US label Wind-up Records noted its similarity to the toxic synthetic organophosphorus compound, sarin gas. Ultimately they settled on Seether after the 1994 Veruca Salt single 'Seether'.
The Sisters of Mercy
When they formed 40 years ago in Leeds, the gothic rockers took their name from the Leonard Cohen track 'Sisters of Mercy' from his seminal 1967 album 'Songs of Leonard Cohen.' The Sisters of Mercy took inspiration from Robert Altman's 1971 movie McCabe & Mrs Miller thats' soundtracked by three Leonard Cohen songs.
Stiff Little Fingers
Previously called Highway Star and The Fast, the Belfast punks eventually decided to call themselves Stiff Little Fingers after the 1977 Vibrators song of the same name.
Overkill
Wisely abandoning the prospective band name Virgin Killer (a nod to the Scorpions), New Jersey thrash metallers Overkill ultimately honoured their other musical heroes Motörhead by naming themselves after the trio's 1979 album 'Overkill' and the single of the same name.
Panic! at the Disco
Although many people erroneously think that Panic! at the Disco are named after The Smiths' song 'Panic' and its chorus of "burn down the disco", former band leader Brendon Urie has said in multiple interviews that they take their name from a track also called 'Panic' by Californian emo band Name Taken. The song's lyrics read: "Panic at the disco/Sat back and took it so slow/Are you nervous?/Are you shaking?".
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