Sixty minutes of fun, giggles and smiles, as engaging thirty-somethings take the proverbial out of boy bands, with some great singing and playing thrown in. “Boy Band is – FOREVER!”Rating
Good
Lambeth Festival Fringe continues on its eclectic, kaleidoscopic way with shows of all sorts at exciting venues all over the borough and beyond. Boy Band at The Glitch certainly ticks all those boxes!
Approaching this venue is to feel the buzz of a Saturday night, with eateries of every nationality, at affordable prices, vying with bars with flashing neon, people of all ages milling around, excited at the night ahead. Onward to The Glitch, which turns out to be a right-on alternative cafe bar, but traditional in its industrial chic where the staff could not be friendlier. There is a definite vibe to the place.
The alternative feel carries over to the show – a boy band reuniting, or just deluded in thinking they’re still young and sexy. I could say imagine East 17 with their edgy wide boy look (we’re definitely NOT talking Take That here). Or even perhaps, taking the lead from the accents, New Kids on the Block with sub rap boyz from da hood. Mmm NEW ?? I don’t think so, as we hilariously have late thirty-somethings who haven’t seen a gym for many years, yet who still strip down to their v-neck (very long V) t-shirts.
So the scene is set then for a glorious comedy piss-take of all things boy band; the clothes, the banter and the songs, the inane choreography and the clapping and the waving. Say hi to Jools Jacuzzi (Michael Kunze) Ray Jay Jay Jay (Fergus Shipman) and Hugh Way (Hugh Edwards); except unfortunately Hugh Way is indisposed and Away Way. But our brave twosome rejig the show and hold the fort. You gotta go with the flow. And in a way, that kind of not ultra-slick outfit, improvising along the way, fits well with the deliberate feel of this show. There were slight technical delays on the night, plus I got the impression that the excellent guitarist (Shipman) had lost his voice somewhat, not helped by trying to eat Jaffa Cakes at the same time – don’t ask!
Seriously though, what is so good here is that the songs are actually very well written and performed by Kunze as lead, with a lovely strong tenor pop voice. He nails that typical boy band kind of faux compassion and self-revelation, just like the pre-show blurb declares: “We want to get real about our feelings. We want to share our deepest secrets. We want to change our costumes“!!
Plus, the lyrics to the songs are witty, groansville and laugh-out loud: “I want you but I need your kidney too” (and every other body part). Then, “Send an email to a female – yahoo!! Be a hot male” is the poignant advice to an unlucky-in-love lad, here their middle-aged sound man on the board, Chris (who just about kept a straight face, despite the best efforts of Jools – naughty man!) There is the obligatory “Love” song (‘love’ repeated over and over), while the finale went completely, well, gonzo is the only word for it. The lads disappeared from the stage only to appear with a strap-a-cup-to-me filled with tomato mayo, and Jools wanted to “dip his chip in your taco sauce”. Tacos are provided – eek!
Amid audience shouts of “One more tune” and (boys) “Boyband is…” (audience) “FOREVER!”, the show comes to its riotous end. There are rough edges here, it’s slightly underrehearsed, possibly, but the lads genuinely engage with their audience to create fun and frolics. What’s not to like?
Written and composed by Michael Kunze, Fergus Shipman, Hugh Edward
Technical Support by Chris East
Boy Band has completed its run at Lambeth Fringe
