Edinburgh 2007
Broadway Baby *****
There's a predictable brilliance about Out Of The Blue which explains why this troupe from Oxford are selling out only two days into their month-long run at C Venues this year. So if you want to see what all the fuss is about, grab yourself a ticket fast. The most interesting thing about Out Of The Blue is that their appeal lays in the fact they're not a professional a cappella group. Most of them don't even have aspirations to chase a career in music. They're studying to be architects, biologists, lawyers and the like. They come across as an unlikely boy band. It's like Simon Cowell walked into a chemistry lab, and rounded a bunch of them up. From the off they're infectiously charming, floppy hair and all. Their choreography is deliberately cheesy, all done tongue in cheek, and very humorous it is too. Today we're treated to a cocktail of songs, some which will be familiar to regular fans, plus some new material including audience participation during "Mustang Sally". These guys play games with melodies with stunning results. Multi-layered and rich, the sound they create would lift the spirits of even the most jaded of Fringe-goers. If they could bottle it, psychiatry would be a dead art. Amongst the upbeat, there are also moments of tenderness such as "Shape Of My Heart", which reached levels of emotion Sting could only dream about. The final song, "Fat Bottomed Girls" allowed the boys to really demonstrate their talent. And quite prestigious talent it is. Go see them. [Pete Shaw]
ThreeWeeks *****
This is definitely one of the must see shows of the festival. It is impossible not to be charmed by this all male a cappella sensation. The boys are back for their fourth Fringe, following two glorious sellout years. The thirteen-strong troupe combine flawless vocals with comedic choreography, evoking laughs and rapturous applause from the thrilled audience. The vocals are so strong that you easily forget the absence of instruments. I haven't seen this much personality on one stage in quite some time. Every song was an accomplishment in its own right, with special mention to the audience-assisted 'Mustang
Sally'. What's more, all profits from the show go to charity. You'd be a fool not to see this.
CD's
Redshift review - click here
Broadway Baby *****
There's a predictable brilliance about Out Of The Blue which explains why this troupe from Oxford are selling out only two days into their month-long run at C Venues this year. So if you want to see what all the fuss is about, grab yourself a ticket fast. The most interesting thing about Out Of The Blue is that their appeal lays in the fact they're not a professional a cappella group. Most of them don't even have aspirations to chase a career in music. They're studying to be architects, biologists, lawyers and the like. They come across as an unlikely boy band. It's like Simon Cowell walked into a chemistry lab, and rounded a bunch of them up. From the off they're infectiously charming, floppy hair and all. Their choreography is deliberately cheesy, all done tongue in cheek, and very humorous it is too. Today we're treated to a cocktail of songs, some which will be familiar to regular fans, plus some new material including audience participation during "Mustang Sally". These guys play games with melodies with stunning results. Multi-layered and rich, the sound they create would lift the spirits of even the most jaded of Fringe-goers. If they could bottle it, psychiatry would be a dead art. Amongst the upbeat, there are also moments of tenderness such as "Shape Of My Heart", which reached levels of emotion Sting could only dream about. The final song, "Fat Bottomed Girls" allowed the boys to really demonstrate their talent. And quite prestigious talent it is. Go see them. [Pete Shaw]
ThreeWeeks *****
This is definitely one of the must see shows of the festival. It is impossible not to be charmed by this all male a cappella sensation. The boys are back for their fourth Fringe, following two glorious sellout years. The thirteen-strong troupe combine flawless vocals with comedic choreography, evoking laughs and rapturous applause from the thrilled audience. The vocals are so strong that you easily forget the absence of instruments. I haven't seen this much personality on one stage in quite some time. Every song was an accomplishment in its own right, with special mention to the audience-assisted 'Mustang
Sally'. What's more, all profits from the show go to charity. You'd be a fool not to see this.
CD's
Redshift review - click here
out of the blue Reviews 