|
Fringe 2009 Reviews (91)
Rock Roadie
James "Tappy" Wright
Assembly @ George Street
***
Finding myself at a talk given by ex-rock and roll roadie, Tappy Wright,
discussing his new book, I began to wonder why this piece was advertised
in the theatre section of the Fringe Guide, and not in the Book Festival.
However, while this may not be theatre, it certainly had it's moments
of drama.
Wright, a working class lad from Newcastle with only a guitar and
a van, became the road manager for The Animals and went on to work with
Peter Noon, Ike and Tina Turner, Barbara Streisand and Diana Ross, to
name but a few. His biggest claim to fame is ultimately working with
the rock legend Jimi Hendrix for his short but spectacular career.
Giving the insider's story with a down to earth honesty and refreshingly
unsensational delivery, Wright tells tales of visiting a reclusive Elvis,
negotiating with mob managers, swimming with sharks and John Lennon
coming to his birthday party. This is one show that the rock devotee
won't want to miss. Finally it is Wright's revelations about Hendrix's
death that creates the twist in the tale - and one which I will l leave
the viewer to find out for themselves. As the audience asked questions
at the end it was revealed that an ex-'girlfriend' of Hendrix's had
attended Wright's talk the previous day and accused him of lies before
storming out - a moment of dramatic tension I was sorry I'd missed!
Sacha Voit
Yathra (Journey)
Ragamala Dance
St John's Church
****
A company of four dancers exquisitely present a programme of three
pieces of classical Indian Dance, Bharatantyam, accompanied by two prestigious
Indian classical musicians.
Beginning with a joyful, energetic opening piece, moving to a single
dancer depicting a devotee searching for a glimpse of the statue of
Lord Krishna, to ending with a dance of lively energy, like children
at play beside a river, the company metaphorically map a human being's
life Journey. In traditional costume and executing their beautiful movement
with such precision and grace this is a mesmerizing piece, inspiring
awe and gratitude in equal measure.
Sadly, the venue is problematic without raked seating, presenting great
difficulties in seeing the work, even if you are only sat in the third
row. However, despite this, Ragamala are still exceptional to see, creating
a unique, soul-satisfying work of Bharatanatyam art.
Sacha Voit
The Tiger Lillies: Songs of
Shockheaded Peter and Other Gory Verses
Pleasance Courtyard
***
The Tiger Lillies is a unique UK-based musical trio, celebrating its
twentieth anniversary this year, that harks back to old-fashioned European
cabaret and American burlesque but with a very modern sense of horrific
bad taste.
The band consists of white-faced Martin Jacques on vocals and accordion,
bespectacled Adrian Huge on an unusual percussion kit consisting mostly
of cymbals with one or two drums and two suitcases full of bizarre toys,
and Adrian Stout on contra bass, saw and theramin. As the show's title
suggests, there are a small number of songs included that the band wrote
and initially performed for the Olivier Award-winning musical Shockheaded
Peter, but most of the numbers come from the Lillies' large back-catalogue
of songs about murder, torture, suicide, sex and other bodily functions
that aren't usually discussed in polite company.
The band specialises in conflicting images, as Jacques's powerful and
often soaringly-beautiful falsetto sings about drowning, kicking a baby
down the stairs, murdering God or Masturbating Jimmy, and Huge, in a
parody perhaps of some of the showier excesses of the rock world, destroys
his drum kit with a huge pair of yellow plastic toy hammers.
The Tiger Lillies are not for everyone as their cursing, blasphemy
and images of death and the extremes of sex and violence are designed
to offend. Some of the humour is a bit adolescent and some of the rhymes
are a little approximate, but when it comes to what is now referred
to as 'gross-out' humour, these people are past masters and accompany
it with some impressive musicianship and some beautiful melodies.
David Chadderton
Next
page - - - Index
|
