The Stage

John Howe Presentations Ltd Showcase 2009

Published Wednesday 28 January 2009 at 15:25 by Mark Ritchie

Showcasing acts at a venue like this (the last of the great variety clubs), is a risky ploy, as not every act is in charge of the kind of stagecraft or performance skills to make a success of their spot on a stage like this.

But John Howe and his team are hot on the welcome front and soon the fed and watered crowd were settled for the evening’s cabaret.

Singer and comedian Chris Smeed didn’t get off to the best of starts with an obscure and ultimately ineffectual song which perhaps wasn’t the wisest choice for an opening.

The comedy patter which followed was confidently delivered though and as a warm-up exercise, one of the primary functions of the compere, the affable Smeed seemed like a sound choice. Looking rather ill at ease early on in the show, Smeed settled into his task quite well as the night wore on.

Much talked about comedy juggler Steve Arnold is one of the few rising stars on the speciality act scene. Young image speciality entertainers are always in demand on the UK holiday centre scene, but given the silky performance skills and the hugely original approach, perhaps there is much more scope, even in these trouble times, for a young entertainer of this quality.

With the look of an actor trying to develop a cabaret act, nervous looking singer Steve Ritchie thankfully won’t have to work many stages as big as that at the Lakeside. The pacing and charging around matched the nervy, vocal delivery - the overall impression being that of someone not quite ready for this level of activity.

Comedian, impressionist and ventriloquist Gareth Oliver has clearly thought about the nuts and bolts of his performance. But the technical excellence is matched with the young and trendy image which, as was the case with juggler Arnold, is the same factor which will take comedy and speciality forward in the 21st century. A selection of comedy parody songs, accompanied by one of his principal characters Keith Teeth, certainly located the collective funny bone and woke the slumbering early evening audience, proving that Oliver is a very smart operator indeed.

Three stunningly attired ladies, who are collectively known as Sleek, came next.

All the girl band favourites followed and, although the harmonies were not that pronounced, I’m sure that many present could see the market appeal of an act like this. However, it is a constant source of irritation that many otherwise highly bookable acts do not invest in suitable backing tracks. Instead insist on using karaoke style fade-outs, which surely should find no place in the professional show business circuit.

Smooth, smart swing crooner Ben Smith waxed lyrical regarding the history of the American song book and sang some great songs.

Cruise ship appeal certainly and, with no backing musicians present, the handsome Smith performed with some suitably big band-led backing tracks. Good use of the stage too from this promising swing merchant.

If our business was not in enough trouble already, given the lack of television exposure for mainstream acts, we now find that the creatures from TV land are broadcasting programmes which reveal the secrets of magic and illusion. Even this latest blow shouldn’t bother market-leading illusionist Alex Lodge and his assistant Hayley Louise, who proved if proof is needed that it ain’t what you do it’s the way that you do it. Larger-scale card-based trickery also reveals a flair for deflection delivered at a speed which I have seldom seen before in one so young. In short a terrific act.

Two girl duo Venus should not be confused with other acts of the same name up and down the UK.

This Venus are a vocal instrumental act made up of two well-dressed blondes.

The instrumental angle will distinguish them from the dozens of similar acts currently plying their trade, and the patter sounds well tried, which all suggests an experienced act. However, there isn’t a huge amount of vocal quality to seize upon, which would surely be the key to elevating this act a little higher up the pecking order.

Given the resurgence in popularity of the light classics and operatic tenors, a duo of tenors does seem a good idea right now.

I have seen both members of Opera2unity in talent show finals up and down the country and seemingly these Yorkshire lads have pooled resources in order to fill a collective diary. I can foresee few problems.

Having seen and enjoyed elegantly-gowned singer Carrie Michaels before at showcase events, it is pretty clear that she has perfected the art of impressing trade audiences.

The formula is fairly simple - make a great impression with stunning stage wear, sing the right songs and command the stage with an individual stage persona.

The vocal delivery is quirky yet engaging, but the real strength here is an easy naturalness within the framework of the performance.

Chirpy Cockney comedian Johnnie Tait gave a series of gags which the adults would enjoy, but the children wouldn’t understand. The family aspect of the holiday centre industry has dictated that mainstream comedy has gone in this direction and Tait has clearly taken this on board. A full diary for 2009 should be a foregone conclusion.

Polished duo Beavis and Woods pop up from time to time on the showcase scene and I have yet to see them fail to impress.

Songs from Elton John and Andre Bocelli were delivered with the kind of easy charm which audiences warm to and surely this was a case of an already busy male act merely popping along to the Lakeside just to remind everyone both of their availability and their talent and versatility.

The compere duties for the remainder of the evening fell to cheery and smart singer and entertainer Michael Stephens. By injecting a wee bit of a sing-song, the pace of the evening increased, which seemed to fit the time of night. Stephens looked like a slick patter merchant and an all-round compere and this may have been noted by those looking for the valued asset of versatility.

Next came Nu Soul Generation, who comprise a soulful female singer, and three male musicians. They opened with a version of the Al Green song Let’s Stay Together, which was performed in a curious colla voce style and Candi Staton’s Young Hearts Run Free came next. What we saw and heard here presented this reviewer with a bit of a quandary. When performing songs like James Brown’s I Feel Good, you expect a band to blow the back wall out with sound and energy. Instead the sound quality and the lacklustre look of those on stage, excluding the singer, rather shattered what promised considerably more.

One of a number of Yorkshire raiders who had ventured down the M1 for this event was all-round entertainer James Brandon.

Stand-up comedy, music, costume comedy, sight gags and a parody of Elvis - the baby years were crammed into a stylish and impressive showcase set.

As the accomplished all-rounder that he is, it would seem that Brandon’s career path could go in a number of directions. I’m sure those seeing him for the first time will have noted the name.

Tigger Blake is the name of a mother and daughter duo featuring the brilliant solo artist of not so many years ago, the great Sunny Daye. Once described by another showbusiness great - our very own Peter Hepple - as “the greatest undiscovered star in Britain”, Daye is still quite a force in a live situation. But nowadays working alongside talented daughter Sasha, Daye takes life on stage at a sensibly more measured pace. But the musical quality and the fun, which bubbles just below the surface, is still very much there to be seen and admired.

Former member of the infamous party band Black Lace (the one with the glasses) Dene Michael was the penultimate act on the bill and he opened brightly with a version of the Lionel Richie song Dancin’ On The Ceiling. Nowadays the face furniture has gone and Michael is pursuing a solo career.

Having recently returned from a self-imposed exile as a Benidorm cabaret bar ex-pat entertainer, Michael is apparently trying to resurrect his UK solo career. His recent BBC Children In Need fund-raising song, a revamped version of Black Lace party hit Agadoo, should help things along nicely when it is released in the UK this summer.

What better way of closing a show out in this part of the world than a good old Cockney knees-up.

The pearly king of Camberwell was joined on stage by an equally Cockney character. Together they are known as the Barrow Boys and soon we were all strutting our stuff to the strains of My Old Man’s a Dustman. All great in the pub certainly and all sung with the customary gusto.

Well done to John and Dot Howe and their friendly team and it was nice to see the Lakeside guv’nor Bob Potter in the audience checking out the talent on show.

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