Bravo - Star City Showroom - 21/04/06

Ethan Switch - Sunday, 23 April 2006 - Print Version

Genius. Staples right through the envelope and on to pierce the corners of both tickets. For safety, for security, for making sure the little tokens keep together like all good waffles should. Woman in the vest does things the hard way, yanking them every angle, forgoing any decision to pluck out the legs.

There is no room for drinks service, a bar all the way up past the levels and at the back. This makes no sense with a drinks menu standing defiantly on the table end. They also serve no magic elixir here. Ice melts in the hand when a tongue snaps a jaw.

Seating in the A reserve section, down at the foot of the stage, is for close comfort. A zigzag fashion forms the procession with pairs of couples facing each other over a long and thin table.

"For making googly eyes to each other" remarks one of the ladies, all too willing to swap seats as a conversation continues with Seraphim on sheep dying in a transport boat. "You've already missed half of the show," she adds, unaware of the situation many minutes previous to the instant.

Walking in the darkness with chairs all over the floor proves to be a case in casual hazard. Hips are replaceable; just ask the elderly. Booths and long tables jockey for space and leave no room for quick passage. With the men of Bravo, Scott Irwin, Ian Stenlake and James Millar returning to the second half, ducking and weaving amongst the tables plays a part in the sneak.

Bravo work the Showroom with an utter charm and melody that is at both relaxing and exciting. Taking songs from a strange array of sources such as soundtracks, disco and entire snapshots of catalogues, the range is impressive and leaves a lot of teeth and wide eyes glaring back at the stage over the course of applause.

Standing ovations from pockets in the crowd are frequent with a sincerity all too real. Comedic interplay between Bravo's Irwin, Stenlake and Millar revolves mostly around the fact that Millar is the youngest, freshest of the three. Stenlake is quick in his rendition of a minor scene and the similarity to Hugh Jackman is bone-tastic.

Sound production is superb. Loud enough to clear variances in notes and the frequent solos from the band but not too loud as to necessitate ear plugs. Again and again the audience ask for more at the end, requests they serve with gusto and flair.

Catching only the second half of the two act show loses out in the costume change and an hour of songs. An hour of songs no doubt as wonderful as the closing and immensely more entertaining and rewarding than the freezing cold of metal and a crossword puzzle.

Ethan Switch