Adeladie Fringe. Presented by Live and Let Die. The Big Slapple. 25 Febr 2014.
The 48 Lounge in the Convention Centre is an impressive venue, and it was decked out to set the scene for a night of 007, but it was a disappointment.
Singers Grant Pearson and Jacqui Yeo were joined by a three piece band (bass and lead guitars, drum kit) as well as a backing tape which filled in the requisite orchestral strings, brass and woodwind that give the customary richness to the theme songs from Bond movies. They were also accompanied by numerous video projections of the teaser openings to each of the films they featured.
The projections were a constant and dominant feature of the concert and at times over took musicians and singers, and in the case of Pearson this wasn’t altogether a bad thing. Yes he can sing with substantial power, and yes he can (over) sustain very long notes, but these are akin to party tricks and do not make a singer. Unfortunately he was frequently off pitch and off tempo, and his treatment of vowel sounds would make Professor Higgins turn in his grave. Perhaps there were problems with the fold back?
Yeo however fared much better and her versions of ‘Skyfall’ and ‘License to Kill’ were a highlight. She has powerful voice, knows how to use a microphone and has excellent breathing, but her performance did not always reach the heights of the two aforementioned songs originally recorded by Adele and Arethra Franklin. Much of the problem was the backing arrangements, which too often inappropriately dominated and ‘smeared’
the vocal line.
The concert was like the curate’s egg – it had good bits and not-so-good bits.
Kym Clayton
When: Closed
Where: The Big Slapple
Bookings: Closed
