Angle Entertainments Showcase Extravaganza 2007

Published Thursday 13 December 2007 at 11:55 by Mark Ritchie

Compere Roy O’Brien was making the announcements and everyone welcome for this great showcase fixture. Soon the afternoon bookers were settling down for the early session in the functional surroundings at Pastures Lodge.

True Identity are a two-boy vocal act who got the ball rolling with soul tracks such as My Girl and The Love I Lost.

These raw-looking cabaret recruits ‘talked down’ the applause, which is a sure sign of either inexperience or being overcome by bad nerves. They also wore ill-fitting, funereal suits and some pretty dodgy and scruffy shoes.

This morose-looking pair are really in need of some advice, although to be fair the vocals were very strong indeed. Some guidance is required here possibly from the learned Stvan and his trusty team.

Jimmy Echo really is a gem of an act, with his strong singing voice, solid guitar work and dry, urbane line in gags and humour.

A renowned clubland great in his native Yorkshire, Echo could really give lessons in how to approach stage work and succeed.

Stevie Brightman is a female soprano-type singer of the glittering gown variety. The programme of songs took us from Pucchini to Shania Twain in one uneasy leap and the crowbarring of such disparate styles made me unsure of exactly what type of work was being sought here.

Enter three large guys, resplendent in dress suits, who are collectively known as Unforgettable. Soon we were boogying on down to the music of Tavares, with a version of the dance floor filler Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel.

Their backing tracks were loaded with unnecessary backing vocals and these guys looked as though they were used to chucking drunks out of nightclubs, with their rather serious and unsmiling approach.

Bespectacled Scottish singer Tom Collins looks like the type of friendly science teacher who gets up and does a turn at school concerts.

Collins has charm by the bucket-load and some good musical ideas. These two factors alone must make him one to watch.

Lisa McKnight is a highly professional singer/dancer, who is used to working in all-girl dance acts.

Appearing solo here, McKnight did enough to indicate that, once she learns the disciplines of crowd approach which apply to the solo entertainer and the art of injecting light and shade into her performance, she could do very well indeed.

Casually dressed Geordie singer Marcel looked very pleased with himself as he chatted up the afternoon crowd through the music in a kind of singing DJ style.

This entertainer looked like a trendy, boy band-style guy, who hasn’t quite got the hang of how to approach solo work yet.

Now I know all too well that trends in stagewear have altered drastically in recent years, but surely stagewear is defined by looking different and better than the members of the audience.

Boy/girl act G Star adopted the jeans and dodgy trainers approach and their tracks, which were loaded with backing vocals, did them no favours at all.

Impressionist Julia Martin gave us her Celine Dion tribute, of which both the lookalike and soundalike quality was very noticeable. The impression was played dead straight, even in speech and there is certainly gold to be found in tributes.

I really liked Seven Days. Here we have a four-piece live band who gave us songs from U2 and Crowded House, delivered in the compelling style of very serious and professional musicians. Surely work will be in abundance for these guys.

Singer Richie Richards joked that he’d see everyone later as he was bouncing on the doors at seven o’clock. Richards is a big bloke with a booming voice, who even dressed in bovver boots as he stood tinkling away at his keyboard.

Storm are a four-piece boy band-style attraction, who at least nod in the general direction of the live band scene, with a keyboard player and drummer giving some semblance of live music.

Having said that, Storm gave us a strong vocal performance from the two male leads, who made a cracking job of covering the Mika song Grace Kelly.

Quirky, big-box magic act Martyn James and Co offer class illusions, comedy patter and some upstaging by James’ smiling partner Vicky.

I have long been an admirer of James and his innovative family act, which has a dollop of mum and dad appeal, and he was on great form here.

Fifty/Fifty is the name of a male/female vocal act who wore woolly cardigans, scarves and flat hats. Now I know that South Yorkshire can be cold in November, but this is ridiculous. Some real vocal quality though from the female half here, who I seem to remember as being part of the top harmony act Blue Velvet Knights not so long ago.

“I don’t usually dress up”, exclaimed soul singer Vinny Deane after his opening number. Sad to say that Deane isn’t that strong a vocalist either, at least on the evidence of his set here.

The joke regarding the quality or otherwise of Deane’s stage attire continued at the end of the set with more wisecracks from compere O’Brien.

Neily Diamond is the name of a South Yorkshire Neil Diamond tribute act, who gave us Cracklin’ Rosie and Song Sung Blue.

A good soundalike here and a nice way to duck out for dinner before the long evening session.

After a tasty repast, it was time to reconvene and meet diminutive singer Davey Nicholls. A smart and trendy singer, who showed off some genuinely delightful vocal quality during renditions of the Michael Buble song Home and the recent Take That hit Shine.

Alicia Brady is a promising singer who at just 16 years of age promises much in the future. At present she needs to be taught how to how to walk on properly, but seems able to listen to her audience and be ‘in the moment’. Most definitely a potential big name act in the future and presently with a slightly performing arts student look about her.

Cool Wave is the collective name of a tall singer and his much shorter, but equally well turned out partner. Cool Wave gave us the current showcase chestnut You Raise Me Up and suggested that here we have a fairly standard vocal duo who were aided by some very nice backing tracks.

Singer and flautist Lisa Martin has popped up on the showcase radar once or twice already this season.

Suffice to say that this remarkably likeable, fresh and charismatic entertainer must be at least somewhere near shouting distance of the top of the solo cabaret tree right now.

Singer and dancer Alistair Raine opened with a superbly performed version of Bobby Darin’s Beyond the Sea in one of the stand-out performances of this entire event.

Raine could become the complete package, with his top-drawer vocal and dance ability and his naturally likeable stage persona. He has one or two things to learn yet about the general approach, but potentially a great entertainer in the making here.

Similarly, beautiful singer/dancer Danielle Grace Williams could go all the way to the top. A superb vocal performance here, married to a graceful dance routine, and surely kids like Danielle Grace Williams underline the point that there are lots of young entertainers learning their trade in professional showbusiness these days who are surely being trampled down by the singing hairdressers chosen to face Cowell and Co on The X Factor.

Enter four bonny young lads, all dressed all warlock costumes and masks, who are known as Boyzaloud. We were told that this was ‘a tribute to the boy bands of the last decade’, and I suppose on that premise this act worked to some extent. The guys were winsome enough and all three had the moves and the pop video approach to choreography.

“It’s variety act time, so it’s time for a fag break for some”, said magician Matthew J. As it turned out, this promising new speciality entertainer was quite wrong, as everyone was held enthralled by his fusion of patter, juggling and acrobatics. Promising stuff indeed here.

Spotters of outstanding potential must have been taking notice as elegant singer/ dancer Lisa Pearson made her entrance. There are not only outstanding, cruise ship-style performance skills here, but some scope for a tribute, due to a remarkable likeness to a certain Celine Dion.

DaVinci are three guys who combine a three tenors approach with some boy band type material. Already doing great business, DaVinci look set to reinforce their growing reputation with some prestige work reportedly in their collective diary.

Scottish singer Jill Swanson was beautifully turned out, as well as being pleasant, witty and tuneful. A quality vocalist with the look of a fully-rounded entertainer. Swanson impressed with her version of the Edith Piaf classic No Regrets, or as she put it, “the Scottish wench sings French”.

I have long held the view that Robin Good must be one of the best all-round entertainers in the UK. A singing voice, some great comedy patter and a profusion of musical instruments, all expertly played, make this guy a market leader and a gem of a live act.

Well dressed singer Analicia Ryan opened with a version of the Crystal Gayle song Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue, before impressing further with a lively and well prepared approach. Ryan is a real pro, with voice and image skills to match, and she was in fine fettle here.

Harris and Day are a witty and well presented traditional cabaret double act. Dressed like a couple of jolly and likeable funeral directors, initially audiences may be fooled into thinking that these guys are a serious live music act. They would be wrong as here we have a fusion of light comedy and solid music, which is a delight to watch and listen to.

The Richie Taylor Show is billed as a ‘multiple impressions/vocal tribute show’ and the costumes are indeed fine and dandy.

The comedy recorded introductions, featuring the late and great comedian Colin Crompton, also fitted the mood of the act. Oddly enough Crompton’s daughter, the successful agent Erica Crompton was present at this showcase.

However, I’m afraid I just didn’t warm to Taylor, mainly because I felt that his impressions and approach were devoid of any kind of charisma. Who knows, perhaps I just caught him on a bad night?

Scandal are a sexy, sassy and slightly zany boy/girl duo, whose outlandish sense of dress and quirky vocal delivery make them a real winner for many. I loved the act and so did everyone else.

Closing the entire showcase was the ultra-energetic three-girl vocal and dance act Back to the Future.

This well drilled and slickly choreographed confection of song and dance continues to do brisk business in the North, and on this showing it is not too difficult to figure out why, as the girls wildly shook their tail-feathers.

Even John Stvan got in an the act at the end, as compere O’Brien encouraged one and all to tear out pages from their brochures and throw them at the crooning agent.

This event was great fun as always and with more than enough reasons for all the bookers to leave having seen at least something they will use in their venues in the future.