The Stage

Showcall Showcase II - Day One, Evening Session

Published Friday 14 January 2005 at 17:05 by Peter Hepple

Day One - Evening Session

A feeling that variety may at last be on its way back was reinforced by the opening presentation by Funki Feathers. These 11 dancers, including one boy, illustrate a growing trend towards the formation of dance teams with a range of routines and a vast range of costumes which are suitable for major promotional events and theatre shows large and small. Partly - but only a small part - covered in bling and feathers, they provided a spectacular opening to the show and even then did not fill the impressively large Lancastrian Suite stage.

Showcase sound man Lee Beards deserted his post for a few minutes to demonstrate the other string to his bow, as drummer with Rock The Country, a tribute to the new and rockier divas of country music, notably Shania Twain, who are obviously more to the general public taste than the lachrymose ladies of classic country.

First seen by me several years ago in a range of talent contests, most of which he won, Craig Leach has now become an established and highly popular name on the cabaret and cruising circuit. Confident and with a great voice, Leach picked a really savvy trio of songs, Avenues and Alleyways, that great Tony Christie hit, the moving and meaningful Mr Bojangles and one of the great romantic ballads, How Do You Keep the Music Playing?

In contrast, Strobe were strictly contemporary, in looks at least.

Two girls who moved and sang well, the song selection was a little retro, Lady Marmalade and We Are Family for example, but the act was none the worse for that.

Steve Walls then had a few minutes to remind us that he is a fine singer and engaging comedian while the stage was set for another act which gives hope for a variety revival, Cafe Society, a quartet of frankly elderly chaps fronted by a banjoist-vocalist with a cut-glass accent. Not unnaturally they specialised in numbers from the thirties and even earlier, with trumpet, clarinet and sousaphone prominent, the loquacious leader dropping his aristocratic demeanour for When I’m Cleaning Windows, made famous by the late George Formby, who originally came from just down the road in Wigan.

Then came the singer who quite literally shows the most promise I have ever seen in a showcase, the astonishing 18-year-old from Hull, JD Adams. Receiving the nearest thing to a standing ovation you are likely to see in showcase circles, she triumphed with three songs that demonstrated her range and personal tastes, Just As If We Never Said Goodbye, Don’t Rain on My Parade and You’re My World.

More maturity came from Nigel Strong, making something of a comeback after initial success a few years ago. There is obviously now a demand for acts of this type from spenders of the grey pound and he will not disappoint. Not a specialist in Rat Pack material, he leans more towards the Andy Williams school, though he did surprisingly well with his closer, A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square.

Newcastle boy-girl duo Here and Now offer pleasing pop, sung and played with spirit, though the songs, such as Proud Mary and River Deep, Mountain High, are over-familiar showcase fare.

But then followed more variety type material from The Unlikely Lads, purveyors of funny and original songs, some of which were gloriously non-PC. It was certainly refreshing to hear material of this nature, which would not be out of place in comedy clubs but was more obviously aimed at more adult mainstream audiences. They could, with a bit of luck, make a name for themselves.

The two young people from Rochdale who make up Jennesis obviously have big ideas. Their props alone prove that they mean business. What they actually present is slightly less impressive than the way in which in they do it, because a version of the familiar sword through box trick is their major illusion. The twist is that the girl comes back into view from the rear of the hall. A real startler this, an indication that this is an act for which to watch out. Innovation is obviously the name of the game here, because the time is right for a really big illusion act.

Back to the Future - Part II was a debut performance from a new version of an earlier act, full of lively song and dance which features classic fare such as Disco Inferno, Hot Stuff and I Will Survive, instantly evocative and immaculately presented and which lives up to the description of party band.

Tall and strikingly attired Cambridge vocalist Carla Gray could warrant recording attention on the strength of three numbers which illustrated her potential, for she is as much at home with funky material as with contemporary ballads.

Attracting considerable interest were the Young Drifters, a new act from the ever-growing Dixon stable. Comprising three youthful South African lads, backed by two mature white musicians from, I would guess, the north-east, this looks like a potential major act for holiday centres in particular. They perform not only the songs from the artists who are their inspiration but new twists on very ancient material, such as the newly popular Just a Gigolo, which dates from 1930 and was, you might be interested to know, originally a German song.

Emma Dane is a young singer of considerable promise who seems to be interested in the more contemporary range of power ballads, such as Mariah Carey’s hit Hero. Look out for her, the right number could make her a star.

Though ostensibly a Robbie Williams tribute act, Dodgie Williams seemingly comes from the same part of the world, for he recently sold out a self-promoted concert at the Victoria Hall, Hanley. He does not exclusively perform Robbie material, though, and would appear anxious to make his own mark, a commendable ambition in this copycat age.

It’s not difficult to guess at the market aimed at by Funk*d, from Steve Donnelly’s recently formed Production Associates office. The girls have a very contemporary look and sound, though oddly enough the songs, such as Play That Funky Music and Say a Little Prayer For Me, are not unknown to the slightly older set.

Concluding an invigorating session were the Leicester five-piece Young Guns, fronted by boy and girl vocalists. Here again we have a group aimed at the party sector, defying anybody not to get up and dance.

To conclude, a fleeting appearance from Tufty Gordon, returned from the Antarctic wastes and welcomed warmly by Steve Walls, a tribute to a master compere from this most promising of disciples.

Peter Hepple

EXPERT CHOICE

Jon Lee (Freshwater Beach Holiday Park, Dorset) chose JD Adams and Young Drifters

Norman Thewlis (International Management) chose JD Adams and Young Drifters

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