Review: The Lion King at the Mayflower Theatre (04/09/14)

Following 15 years at London’s Lyceum Theatre The Lion King is currently doing its first ever tour of the UK, with the first stop being Southampton’s very own Mayflower Theatre. Disney’s award winning musical, brought to life for the stage by Julie Taymor, has now been seen by over 70 million people worldwide and cannot only be seen here in the UK, but in five other countries around the globe.

The Mayflower Theatre set the perfect backdrop for the show, so it is no surprise that with it came record-breaking ticket sales. The fairly small venue allowed for an heir of intimacy as the sun rose on the stage and the audience was transported from Southampton to the Serengeti Plain where Simba’s epic journey takes place.

Many will remember the spectacular opening of Disney’s animated film featuring every animal of the Savannah joining together to witness the presentation of Simba accompanied by Elton John’sCircle of Life. This spectacle was not by any means hindered by the limitations of stage production, audience members gasped as all animals (represented by both costumes and clever puppetry) took to the stage to welcome the new cub. Unlike with other musical productions, The Lion Kingrequired short adjustment to adapt to the puppetry of animals without the easy representation of an animated film. It was orchestrated beautifully, making it easy for the imagination to take over.

The first act of the show takes us through Simba’s journey towards adulthood, including the moving death of his father Mufasa. With much of the dialogue and songs being lifted directly from Disney’s film, this somehow did not detract from the enjoyment. It proves to be quite possible to find great enjoyment despite knowing the exact outcome which demonstrates the splendour of the costumes, dance and performance as a whole. The stampede chase leading up to Mufasa’s death was executed brilliantly, combining row upon row of wildebeest as backdrop as well as dancers to create the tension of the chase. Mufasa’s death was nothing short of heart-breaking, which gives great credit to the actors of father (Cleveland Cathnott) and son.

What truly made the show a success was the masterful use of puppetry, costumes and particularly the masks; many of which were designed by the show’s director, Julie Taymor. Not only were masks used on the characters throughout, but also in representation of the dead Mufasa. With the song He Lives in You, cast members formed a giant lion head from separate pieces that filled the backdrop of the stage. The show seamlessly combined puppetry and live action with some scenes, the most obvious being the fight scene between hyenas and lions, flitting between the two as a showcase of both the actors’ talent and the artists’.

The finale of the show, following the dramatic death of the show’s spineless villain, Scar (Christopher Colquhoun), brought the audience full circle with the Circle of Life, echoing the beginning of the production. Performed with the same precision as the opening, the finale was a great end to the show that cannot be described as anything but spectacular, bringing all of the animals of the Savannah together once more.

Something The Lion King stage production has that the film does not is the inclusion of traditional traits of the film’s African setting. It is Rafiki, the wise baboon (Thulisile Thusi), who truly sets the scene of the Serengeti from the opening of the production with her use of language which is continued throughout with dance and costume. This is definitely something that is missing from Disney’s animated film, and was a great addition to the show.

The only criticism that could be passed was that some of the humour bordered on pantomime comedy which proved a little awkward at times. However, some of the jokes fondly remembered from the 1994 film were topically updated which made the show more relevant to its audience; and example being the swapping of Zazu’s rendition of Merv Griffin’s I’ve Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts with The Proclaimers’ I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) much to some peoples’ dismay! That aside, the use of comedy throughout the production to break the tension of more serious matters made the show absolutely perfect for all ages.

Although The Lion King’s time at the Mayflower Theatre has now sadly come to an end, it is of course continuing its run at London’s Lyceum Theatre, as well as continuing its UK tour in Sunderland, Cardiff and Manchester.

9/10-The Lion King is nothing short of a spectacular transformation of Disney’s childhood favourite, with stunning music lead by Jonathan Gill, and amazing artistry of costumes and puppetry throughout. A perfect musical to be enjoyed by all generations and a credit to the Mayflower Theatre!

Review: Arcade Fire at Earls Court (06/06/2014)

In their first show in London for three years, tickets were sold out for Arcade Fire’s return at Earls Court on both the 6th and 7th June. The two dates serve as a build up to the climax of the ‘Reflektor’ tour at Hyde Park’s British Summer Time on 3rd July- which is also set to be their last London performance of 2014. Friday 6th June saw the band joined by a DJ set from Pulp’s Steve Mackey, and an amazing performance from Owen Pallett who later joined the band on stage for the main event of the evening. They were even joined at one point by Echo and the Bunnymen’s frontman Ian McCulloch for a cover of ‘The Cutter‘ that was originally released in 1983. Those attending the gig on Saturday will be treated to live performances from both Lorde and 2 Many Djs.

The request made by Arcade Fire on their Twitter on Friday, asking fans to wear either fancy dress or formal attire, was taken very seriously by some. Earls Court was brimming with glitz and glamour, and all costumes from robots to princesses, to the lion from the Wizard of Oz. Having the dressing-up element present at the gig made the event truly unique and created nothing short of a great atmosphere- that was raised higher once fans stepped inside of the main venue. Earls Court was decked out in disco balls and strings of fairy lights, and even included someone dressed entirely in a suit made from reflective material appearing on the second stage at certain points of the night. Arcade Fire truly went all-out with the ‘Reflektor’ theme!

As a seven piece band, I can imagine that the stage presence of Arcade Fire is always huge, but Friday and Saturday saw the band as a staggering eleven-strong band. Not only were they joined on stage by Owen Pallett, who had supported them earlier in the night, but previous core member Sarah Neufield and two additional percussionists. Despite the vast number on stage, it was frontwoman (wife of frontman Win Butler) Régine Chassagne that stole the show with a stunning performance. During Afterlife, Régine made her way to the second stage in the venue, that was in the centre of the crowd. Surrounded by dancers dressed as skeletons, the whole crowd turned to watch her and seemed to be totally transfixed by her performance- making her the stand-out member of the night.

Arcade Fire’s two hour set was kickstarted by the title track of their fourth album, ‘Reflektor,’ which was perfect for setting the mood of the evening. All of the band’s visuals corresponded to the theme of ‘Reflektor,’ with the band surrounded on stage by mirrors and a hall full of disco balls. The highlights of the night included ‘Neighbourhood (Tunnels)‘ and ‘Wake Up’ from the band’s first album, Funeral, the title track of ‘The Suburbs,’ and ‘Joan of Arc.’ A personal favourite for me was ‘No Cars Go‘ from Neon Bible. Having said this, every song was performed with the same precision and the experience was amazing.

The band covered a huge range throughout their set from all four of their albums, which can’t have been anything but a treat for the whole crowd. We have definitely been left wanting more, so it’s probably a good thing that tickets are still on sale for their performance at Hyde Park where they will be joined by Jake Bugg, Wild Beasts, Band of Skulls and Future Islands.

Review: Kindness - Otherness

Alan Bainbridge, the luscious-locked man behind Kindness, has released his second studio album.Otherness, released on 13th October, succeeds his debut album World, You Need a Change of Mind that was released in March 2012. With Otherness, Bainbridge brings us a meticulously constructed hybrid of experimental soul, in an album that tells a narrative of unrequited love.

Otherness marks a slight shift in genre from Bainbridge’s first album. Although both are experimental, World, You Need a Change of Mind covers a wider range of musical platforms and focuses strongly on electronic and synth compositions. With his second album, Bainbridge is more concerned with the soul genre, which brings a bluesy level to his electronic undertones.

The album opens with ‘World Restart’, featuring vocals from Ade and Kelele. Bainbridge introduces us to the album with a track that falls nicely into two halves. With the first half of the track inviting listeners to focus entirely on instruments and vocals, and the shift after a pause at the midway point to a more upbeat and almost dance feel, Bainbridge lays down the two elements working strongly together throughout the rest of Otherness.

Bainbridge’s use of lyrics and quite blatant track titles allow Otherness to tell a story. With ‘Why Don’t You Love Me’ seeming to provide an answer to the third track of the album, ‘Who Do You Love?’ a relatable journey of tensions in a relationship and its demise is created. We are, however, left with the reassuring note that ‘It’ll Be Ok’ with the concluding track of the album.

Otherness is interesting to look at in terms of its collaborations, with the most well-known of these being Swedish recording artist Robyn whose vocals feature on ‘Who Do You Love?’. The collaborations on the album allow for a diversion from Bainbridge’s vocals and lift Otherness to a more diverse platform.

Award winning Ghanian rapper M.anifest may seem like an unusual addition to ‘8th Wonder’, with the track covering a strange range from Bainbridge’s own vocals, to M.anifest’s section of the track, to an entirely instrumental ending. On the surface, it would seem that the track is too jarring and in fact the three sections don’t work together at all- but if you give it a chance, what Bainbridge achieves is to unify separate layers of music in a track that exemplifies the diversity of the album.

Others involved with Otherness include Tawaih and Devonté Hynes (formally known as Blood Orange), who features on the soundtrack of Gia Coppola’s film Palo Alto.

It’s great to find a second album that strives to be just as experimental as the debut. Bainbridge’s diversity is made apparent in the way that he continues to link seemingly incongruent elements together to create an album that, although precise in its composition, cannot placed in a rigid genre.

Otherness is a great feat of experiment and diversity, but at the hands of this it can also be a little too jarring at times.

Review: SBTRKT - Wonder Where We Land

Wonder Where We Land is the second studio album from London-based Aaron Jerome, formally known as SBTRKT. The album maintains the distinctive experimental style recognisable in SBTRKT’s self-titled album released in 2011, and even takes the experiments a step further- with 21 songs packed into an hour long double album.

Before releasing the full studio album, SBTRKT released 3 EPs as part of his ‘Transitions’ series. The EPs, which can be found on his Soundcloud, mark a transition between the self-titled first album and Wonder Where We Land, preparing listeners for the innovative style to come.

We are eased into Wonder Where We Land with ‘Day 1’, 30 seconds of rising electronics, before being greeted with the title track of the album. The title track is a little tamer in style than others, but with a multi-layered construction of vocals and electronics – featuring SBTRKT’s frequent collaborator, Sampha – it does not falsely lull you into a sense of security. The start of the album presents an almost calculated theme of alternating between songs with vocals and those that lay bare the electronic talents of Jerome, but as it progresses this scheme falls away and listeners are introduced to the huge range of collaborators on Wonder Where We Land.

Sampha, who featured on SBTRKT’s self-titled album back in 2011, is not the only one to collaborate once more with the solo-artist. Jessie Ware, who featured previously on ‘Sanctuary’ and ‘Right Thing To Do’, works again with SBTRKT for the track ‘Problem (Solved)’. Her vocals work wonderfully against the backdrop of SBTRKT’s music on what is one of the lighter tracks of the album, and it is perfectly clear to see why the choice was made. Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig is also among those to collaborate on the album with the cleverly lyricized ‘NEW DORP. NEW YORK.’

Others to feature include Warpaint, Raury, Caroline Polachek, Koreless and A$AP Ferg. It would be all too easy to focus almost entirely on the collaborations that feature so strongly on the album, but that would dismiss the talent of SBTRKT that is the undercurrent for all of the tracks on Wonder Where We Land.

The separation of the two disks of the double LP seems to mark a slight shift in tone from the first to the second, with the latter end of the album (particularly ‘War Drums’ which features vocals from Warpaint) marking a more haunting tone to the former. The album as a whole is then brought full circle by ending on a purely electronic final track in the form of the beautifully constructed ‘Decemberist’, which presents the style we truly associate with SBTRKT.

Wonder Where We Land is, essentially, an excellent follow up to SBTRKT’s self-titled album. At the hands of a more ambitious range of collaborations and styles comes an album that is a little disjointed at times, but it is possible to get past this. You could not knock the sheer talent of Aaron Jerome and his ability to unify such a level of experimentation on one album- so let’s hope there isn’t another three-year wait before his next instalment.

Review: Manchester Orchestra - Hope

The latest instalment from Atlanta based Manchester Orchestra succeeds the band’s release ofCope, their fourth studio album, in April this year. The release, titled Hope, is a reimagining ofCope, which lays bare the intricate details (or, as frontman Andy Hull put it- “the beautiful, slow stuff”) behind the album that is perhaps a little brutal in comparison. In this reimagining we receive a beautiful new album, exposing elements that were hidden by the heavier nature of Cope.

The alternative rock band are currently on a UK tour which was kick-started at Portsmouth Pyramids, which left fans eagerly awaiting the digital release of Hope after announcing it on their Facebook page on 16th September. Checking every day after this announcement to find out when UK fans could get hold of the full album, it wasn’t until the 26th September that the band finally announced that it would be available for digital download…but not until the 29th! Along with Hopecame news of a “stripped down” tour that, much to our dismay, will sadly only be performed in the United States.

It is quite rare that a band will release a new album that is essentially an extension of a previous release (alt-J’s ‘Bloodflood Part II’ on This Is All Yours has the same principle behind it but not quite on this scale), but Manchester Orchestra pull it off beautifully and with great reason. The redevelopment of Cope takes the album full circle, and listeners get a true feeling of the bare frameworks of the band’s talent.

To really appreciate the difference between Cope and Hope, it works quite well to listen to the tracks in pairs, going between the two albums. This isn’t to say that each album cannot be appreciated without the other, it simply allows for a more interesting look at the composition of both of them. The first instalment of Hope, along with ‘Girl Harbor,’ was ‘Top Notch,’ tantalisingly published on the group’s Soundcloud before the album’s digital release. From this track alone the beautiful rawness of Hope is made apparent.

The release of a stripped down album could seem to some a discredit to the first. If what makesHope so wonderful is that it is Cope without the loudness, then what is the point of Cope’s loudness in the first place? What Manchester Orchestra have achieved, however, is to present what is underlying in Cope, whilst giving credit to the sheer talent that has gone into it.

With standout tracks such as ‘Girl Harbor’ and ‘Choose You,’ Hope achieves the same greatness at Cope without quite so much punchiness. Despite its obvious tie to the band’s previous release, I think that Hope can stand alone as an album in its own right, which is a great credit to Manchester Orchestra.

My Most Memorable Concert: Foo Fighters at Milton Keynes Bowl, 2011

My most memorable concert happily coincides with my first ‘proper’ concert (that is, unless you count an 8 year old me bopping along to S Club 7). In July 2011, I was lucky enough to see Foo Fighters perform on one of two dates at Milton Keynes Bowl, at the height of their Wasting Lighttour.

The value I attribute to this concert probably has quite a lot to do with having hailed Foo Fighters as one of my favourite bands of all time- thanks to the introduction by my mum. That said, I’m not sure I had a lot of choice what with One by One being blared out in the car at any given opportunity!

I can still clearly remember my excitement when Foo Fighters took to the stage, opening with ‘Rope’. ‘Rope’, which also marked the opening of Wasting Light, was a perfect opening. I don’t think anyone there – which, at the hands of the bowl-shaped venue, had an absolutely amazing sound – could have escaped the contagious excitement. Before Foo Fighters’ slot, Tame Impala, Death Cab for Cutie and Biffy Clyro had all performed throughout the evening. Having seen Tame Impala and Biffy Clyro since, I think I definitely should have appreciated them more at the time- but I think I was just a little bit too geared up for the main event.

Highlights of Foo Fighters’ set were hard to pin down at the time, as they still are now. But, as an all-time favourite track, singing to ‘Best of You’ at the top of my lungs whilst crushed in a crowd of people twice my height was definitely up there.

It wasn’t until the Wasting Light tour that I had really been old enough to go to a concert and properly enjoy it, so I think that’s part of why this particular concert stands out so much. I’m glad to have seen Foo Fighters at the age I was, because all too often now I see bands as part of festivals which always end up a little bit hazy.

It’s probably mostly the nostalgic attachments I have to this concert that have prompted me to choose it as my most memorable one, but it truly was an amazing night of music and I hope that I get the chance to see them again soon.

WARNING

Am about to post an influx of various reviews and what not that I have (fairly) recently written for an entertainment publication at my university, The Edge. Apologies in advance anyone who may be watching this space (that I admit has been inactive for some months now) but I thought I would make some use of it.