The Stage

John Howe Presentations Showcase

Published Thursday 13 December 2007 at 12:05 by Derek Smith

Many top acts have appeared on Lakeside Country Club’s stage since it first opened - it just shouts light entertainment and must surely still be one of the best showcase venues in the country.

Listen very carefully and I’m sure you can hear the laughter still ringing out at a Tommy Cooper joke, the legend having appeared many times at the venue.

Good comperes are integral to the success of such nights and CJ Harper has all the skills required to get an audience going. His opening cover of Amarillo was a sure-fire crowd pleaser. A traditional, cheeky chappy sort of MC, he quickly got the adult audience’s level and also wasn’t afraid for ask for good order when things got a bit noisy as the night wore on.

It was Portsmouth-based vocal duo Mickey and Grace who opened the show - not easy when most people were still tucking into their food, and especially daunting for Grace who had a solo spot to start, dressed up to the nines. Joined by Mickey on stage, their joint presentation looked slightly off kilter, but the combined sound isn’t unpleasant and they are clearly an experienced act. A cover of Elvis’s Suspicious Minds built well, and apparently they also do a Rat Pack set too - though quite what role Grace has in that I’m not sure.

Family ensemble Chuckletruck, complete with a great 13-year-old drummer, are clearly fans of past music eras. Of course, given their name they also mix in comedy, plus some basic magic, initially done here in Joe Pasquale-esque mode. It’s all very silly, but the audience joined in without even being asked and that’s always a sign of an act which people have warmed to. The mini Elvis routine to finish was a cracker, and although this was a bit of a mishmash, they couldn’t help but win you over.

Singer Sarah Brown, appeared in a spotlight at the back of the stage looking a bit like a suspect in a line-up, then bursting into life with a decent opening cover of Enough is Enough. She’s got a distinctive voice which - although not that smooth through the ranges - does have power.

Bathed in green light, her number from the show Wicked was not an easy song to perform and it showed she’s adventurous. I think this audience would have preferred one of the old musical classics though.

I’ve seen speciality act, Steve Arnold, a number of times and am running out of things to say about him. The techno beat, light fantastic juggler is quite brilliant, inventive and original - that should do.

You can always rely on John Howe to come up with something very different at his annual showcase. This year’s ‘sit back in chair’ act was Hot Banditoz, as lively a musical trio as you’ll see. With two very feisty singing, dancing senoritas flanking lead male Silva, it wasn’t only the curry being served at the Lakeside that was raising temperatures. In their first trip to the UK, they certainly created a great fiesta atmosphere on the night with their own brand of addictive South American party music. There must be a novelty hit record in there somewhere if they get enough exposure over here - they’ve already had a few hits in Germany, so why not?

Watching comedian Kevin Kaye stroll on stage to the strains of My Girl was like rolling back the years in light entertainment. He commands the stage without even trying, setting about easing the audience into his act with some cheeky patter. When the main comedy came, it was original and pretty much on target throughout, and you can’t say that about many comics. He did verge on being slightly un-PC at times, and that would be a problem at some venues, but I don’t think he’ll lose any sleep - or work - over that.

Dean Martin tribute, Dean Gee, is a performer who has really come on since I last saw him five years ago at a showcase. It took a while for the audience to get into his Rat Pack persona, but it’s an interesting attempt at being true to Martin’s boozy on stage reputation. Best here was when he was performing A Little Ole Wine Drinker Me, really getting into the spirit of the role. Crucially, his persona looked credible.

Wakefield-based male comedy duo Sharp Experience were great at The Stage’s own Showcall Showcase in November. They must have serious potential, if they can keep coming up with original material and can surely edge towards the top of a few bills before long. One thing you can’t create artificially is on-stage chemistry, but these two have it. I wish them luck, they deserve success in what is a very tough market.

Striking female vocal duo, Magic of Musicals set down their marker with a booming cover of Don’t Rain On My Parade (Funny Girl) before giving a quick history lesson about the origins of their second cover, from Miss Saigon. They’re obviously huge fans of the genre and can no doubt perform faithful renditions of both popular and more obscure tunes from musicals past and present - the serious ones are much more their thing though.

The last time I saw trio Decades, at Showcall Showcase, I really wasn’t that impressed, but at the Lakeside they found a readier audience for their style of fun, across the decades, musical tribute offering. This was certainly a better set than at Thoresby Hall, with better individual skits of the likes of Diana Ross. It’s not sophisticated stuff, but I’m guessing that’s not their target market.

Singer Amanda Russell is a very experienced performer, in fact, she claims to have done around 4,000 gigs to date. You don’t perform that many without being good, and I’m guessing she doesn’t have many dates free in her festive diary. Her cover of Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You was great - even if it ended too abruptly - and her Leona Lewis cover to finish showed she’s up to date, so can please younger audiences too.

Big Hair, a wonderfully coiffured six-piece band, opened with the B52s Love Shack and got the Lakeside rocking in about 10 seconds. Driven by a great lead female singer, whose bright purple hair was about a high as she was, they’d be perfect for parties and would also soon get the bow ties loosened at any corporates. Behind all the fun and silly hats though there’s the major plus of a very solid band cranking out the tunes. Big Hair - big sound. Putting male/female duo DS-2 on after such a lively band didn’t seem a very wise running order, but thankfully late into the evening the Lakeside was now in party mood anyway. The Real Thing’s You To Me Are Everything, followed by Re-light My Fire certainly both made for pleasant listening, before finishing with a nice, slowed down version of The Long and Winding Road - a fab, Fab Four cover then.

If Jim Carrey ever took up magic, he’d be like Nathan Zorchak, here opening with some multi-ball juggling in a suit garish enough to scare small children. Hard to categorise, he’s part comic, part jester and clearly as mad as a March hare. But, he works an audience well, getting right in among them and demanding attention, and his chainsaw juggling finale had everyone on tenterhooks - even if the build-up was way too long. Certifiable certainly, but great fun also.

Rock’n’roll trio, The Roosters, had the slightly unenviable job of being last on stage when a lot of people were starting to head for home. But, those that stayed, heard some great rockabilly and rock’n’roll tracks, all played with an energy, evoking the heydays of the eras. It’s always great to hear a double base being bashed with great enthusiasm and as a retro ensemble they looked and sounded spot on.

Taking place at the home of the World Darts Championship, you’d have to say that not every act hit the bullseye at this showcase, but there had been enough talent double tops, plus a few trebles to make for an interesting and enjoyable evening. Variety is king at such events, and this certainly had that. John Howe showcases always do it seems.

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