“a perfect representation of songs that changed musical styles so much six decades ago”
In 1960 the world was introduced to The Beatles, a group of four young musicians from Liverpool. Over the course of the next decade, before their eventual break up, they were regarded as some of the most influential musicians and songwriters of the twentieth century. Under the guidance of record producer George Martin (often referred to as the Fifth Beatle) they experimented with a number of musical styles including psychedelia, Indian, classical, as well as unconventional recording techniques. It was Martin who convinced Paul McCartney that the arrangement of Yesterday should feature a string quartet and there started a long run of tracks that were to include orchestral arrangements.
Fast forward almost sixty years and the public appetite for listening to The Beatles catalogue remains almost as strong as ever. All You Need Is Love is a concert honouring the talents of The Beatles and is superbly supported by The National Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. The show includes over thirty songs, many of the number one hits as well as tracks from nine of their thirteen groundbreaking albums.
The four band members appearing in All You Need Is Love have a strong history of performing Beatles music, having each performed in the West End and touring stage show Let It Be. Emanuelle Angeletti (Paul McCartney), Paul Canning (John Lennon), John Brosnan (George Harrison) and Luke Roberts (Ringo Starr) have all studied their characters in fine detail, perfectly imitating the mannerisms, dress, looks and sounds of the Fab Four.
Whilst much thought has gone into the costumes the band are associated with, it is of course the music that stands out. For some two and a half hours we were treated to note perfect renditions of glorious songs that were beautifully enhanced by the orchestra who clearly enjoyed themselves. Martin Herman is an energetic conductor/arranger and whilst it is hard to pick out individuals concert master Nadine Guerke on violin and percussionist Steve Vintner caught both the eye and ear with their performances.
Stand out songs were Yesterday, Imagine, The Long and Winding Road, Penny Lane and audience participation was encouraged for You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away, Yellow Submarine and the closing number Hey Jude.
What didn’t work as well was the video projection. It didn’t add anything to the show and on many occasions it was a distraction. The music and performance really didn’t need any additional support.
It goes without saying that for any fan of The Beatles this is an unmissable show. For the uninitiated, this show gives a perfect representation of songs that changed musical styles so much six decades ago, yet don’t sound out of place in the twenty first century.
“Bull sings her heart out, capturing the onstage aplomb of this charismatic performer”
Etta James was a legendary soul singer whose fight through a wild and desperate life gave her voice its inimitable, emotional power. The deep strength, rawness and pain in her singing, echoing her survival of a neglected childhood and pursuit of a successful career while living with drugs, violence and crime, may have prevented her from getting the commercial success she deserved, but she was acclaimed by the critics and loved by the many people struggling through their own troubles during a time of great social difficulty. She bridged the gap not only between rhythm and blues and rock and roll but also between the cultural and racial divide of the 1950s. From an early age, she worked with the likes of Johnny Otis, Ike and Tina Turner, Little Richard, Gladys Knight and, later, James Brown (to name but a few), released thirty albums and won six Grammys and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She later influenced such varied artists as Janis Joplin, Stevie Wonder, The Rolling Stones, Christina Aguilera, Adele and Amy Winehouse.
Australian-born singer, Vika Bull, and The Essential R&B Band, pay homage to the talented and tempestuous James with a two-hour narrative musical. In an impressive tour de force, Bull and company cover twenty three songs with their own renditions of a range of her repertoire. Punctuated by James’s life story, told by Bull and the band’s trumpeter, Tibor Gyapjas, the first half recalls early rock numbers like ‘Tell Mama’, the popular ‘I Just Want to Make Love to You’ (her only song to reach the UK top ten) and tear-jerking ‘All I Could Do Was Cry’. Guitarist Dion Hirini opens the second half with an exhilarating solo which introduces the raunchy ‘Come to Mama’; he also dons his stylish singing skills in the duet, ‘Spoonful’. The show continues with more favourites – the desolate ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’, a touch of doowop with ‘In the Basement’, lilting ‘A Sunday Kind of Love’, and, of course, Etta’s signature song, ‘At Last’.
Unfortunately, the unbalanced sound level in the hall means that the band, particularly the drums, often overpower the vocals, solo and backing, and we miss the subtleties of the instrumental arrangements and of Bull’s interpretations, except in the quieter numbers. The projected backdrop slowly panning out during the evening gradually and disappointingly reveals a simplistic, photo-shopped image which fails to enhance such a poignant story, or create any relevant atmosphere.
Luckily, we are swept through a seductively contrasting collection of music from raucous rock to brooding ballads which delve inside the heart and soul of this passionate, defiant woman. Without, perhaps, the full, low timbre of Etta James herself, Bull sings her heart out, capturing the onstage aplomb of this charismatic performer, her restrained movements but intense presence. And receiving a spontaneous standing ovation from a packed Cadogan Hall, ‘At Last: The Etta James Story’ is proof of a definite crowd pleaser.
