Hull Daily Mail Talent Trail 2008

Published Wednesday 7 May 2008 at 17:05 by Kevin Berry

A packed City Hall greeted the ten acts through to the grand final of the Hull Daily Mail Talent Trail.

Heats had begun in early January and for the final, each of the acts had a three song set to convince the judges of their worth. At least one song had to be accompanied by the Terry Bell band, a fine and widely-respected unit. The entire show was beamed live on to a giant screen outside the City Hall.

The evening opened with a display from the youngsters of a local dance school, but a cluttered stage hampered the audience’s view. A great pity that, and whoever was squirting dry ice on to the stage at periodic intervals, throughout the evening, deserves some form of cruel and unusual punishment.

The eventual talent trail winner was David Barton, a blues and boogie- woogie pianist with an ability level way above any other act on stage. Cool, calm and confident Barton has been playing the piano since he was eight. There is enough talent and individuality in his act for him to make his mark nationally and not just for a year or three. His stage clothing does need some thought, but no doubt his parents will tell him.

Barton’s prize was a £2,000 cheque, the talent trail trophy and a studio photo session, and he will benefit from the media and word-of-mouth exposure that goes with winning.

The judges awarded second place to Russ X, a singer with a thoroughly entertaining act. He is a stylish performer who knows how to present and project a song and he was the best dressed of all the male contestants. His vocal range is impressive. Choosing to begin with Sugar Baby Love and to finish with Nessun Dorma proved his audacious showmanship.

Third place went to the 45s, a beat group playing material from the sixties. Not a tribute band this, but a bunch of mates playing music they obviously love. They made this reviewer feel like a teenager again, which is quite a feat. Quite alright for the base player to remain static, most of them do, but the rhythm and lead guitarists should let the music move them - especially when they are playing a Chuck Berry number.

There was lots of potential in the other acts. All will have learned something from the experience of being in the final and having to sing with live accompaniment. Having an audience approaching 1,200 will also have helped them. Some contestants found the heat uncomfortable and will drink plenty of water before they go on stage in future, never mind during their act. Seven of them, that’s all but the top three acts, will now realise how important it is to speak clearly and look at the audience when announcing a song title.

First of the contestants on to the stage was Chantal Maltby, a pianist and singer whose set included one of her own numbers. Her ability was intermittently apparent but this was not a confident performance. Another pianist/singer Kizzy Bateman also sang one of her own compositions and then sang to her own guitar accompaniment. Bateman needs to perform with more conviction if she is to progress.

Seventeen-year-old Lucy Chester is a confident singer and a relaxed mover and she has considerable potential. Experience and professional guidance will help her. One of the most enjoyable acts of the also-rans. Song choice let Pontefract’s Sarah Pollin down. She sang three belting numbers, each powerful and impressively presented, but any of them could have served as the climax of her act. The audience was left with little idea of this girl’s range.

The girl duo Temptation, comprising Rachel Hemmerman and Jemma Roberts, move as sweetly as a girl duo should. Choosing to sing their middle song, That’s What Friends Are For, with an acoustic guitar accompaniment was a good idea. The pair did seem unduly breathless towards their close - maybe it was the heat.

Singer/guitarist Stuart Steels looked confident and moved quite well, but needs to attend to his clothing. As with the talent trail winner, looking as if you’ve just taken your jacket off will not do. There is nothing wrong with casual, gentlemen, but a performer should always dress for the stage. Steels stirred excitement with his final song Let Me Entertain You but lost some vigour.

Workmates from the city’s DFS store had turned up in force to cheer on Dan Furniss. He sang well and can be excused a late morning. Pacing his act and toning down his delivery will help. Calm down, Dan. Build up some anticipation - Try a Little Tenderness is best built up to a climax and the climax need not be so powerful.

The Hull and East Riding Animal Welfare Trust,¬¨¬®‚Äö√тĆ which is the Hull Daily Mail’s chosen charity for this year, benefited from the evening. Judging from the stories about the trust on the newspaper’s website, this charity deserves every penny.