Back home in Scotland now, safe and sound, but I still have to update on the last couple of days in Adelaide.
Sunday 3rd March. My Fringe experience almost over, I took a chance to take in another gig at The Gov with my host Donald. A lunchtime gig that was billed as a Beatles vs Stones battle of the bands event, but in actual fact it was just two tribute bands performing an hour set each of greatest hits. It might have been fun to have an interactive/competive element to it, with the audience voting on their favourite. As it turned out, the Stones were much more energetic and dynamic with some excellent Mick Jagger pouting and strutting from the lead singer. 1000+ at this afternoon event, again mostly in the older age bracket, but the dance floor was full!
After The Gov, it was down to Semaphore on the coast where we took in a blues show held in the South Australia Communist Party Club. Nothing like a bit of variety on this trip! Very classy set from the Blue Katz, but we had to return to the city to catch my last show at the fringe. This was a comedy cabaret called The Worst Little Warehouse in London in the Garden of Unearthly Delights which had just won a Weekly Fringe Award for Best Cabaret. Funny two-hander about a young couple from Australia who end up in a backpackers hostel in London and spend a year trying to move out. It was delivered at break-neck speed with clever lyrics, strong musical theatre style, with two performers, one keyboard played separately and simultaneously. It was a good, slick show – almost too slick, with no “air” in the performance. Not often the main complaint about a Fringe show is that is was too well-rehearsed, but the Little Warehouse would have benefitted from being a little looser…
So, after a wander round the Garden for the last time, I went to take in Yabarra – the Gathering of Light on the banks of the river Torrens. This was like a cross between Arts in Motion’s Ness Islands Halloween extravaganza and the Enchanted Forest in Pitlochry. Presented every night of the Fringe, free of charge, it was an excellent stroll along the river with the sounds of the bush and indigenous voices emanating from the trees. Huge colourful inflatible animals were dotted around on both sides of the river, with amazing projections of birds and First Nation people appearing out of the darkness. Superb!
