Archive for Music

Exploring 1966: Nostalgia and Youth at the Edinburgh Fringe

August 18, 2025 at 4:47 pm · Filed under Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025, Music ·Tagged , , , ,

Five black stars on a white background, representing a rating.

The show 1966 at the Edinburgh Fringe captures more than a year; it captures a mood. This was the summer when England won the World Cup, The Beatles were spinning on the wireless, and a sense of possibility seemed to hang in the air. The production draws us into that world through a group of teenagers whose friendships and frustrations feel instantly recognisable, even across the decades. It is not a dry history lesson but a living memory, refracted through music, humour, and character.

A maroon 1966 England football jersey displayed on a green grass background, featuring the team's emblem on the chest.

The musical choices give the play much of its force. “Sunny Afternoon” by The Kinks brings with it a feeling of lazy decline while “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” adds tenderness and doubt. What makes the renditions memorable is that the cast play lightly with the words, adjusting them to fit the unfolding story. These small variations are witty and revealing, giving the songs a freshness that made the audience laugh and nod in recognition. Timothy’s version of “Only The Lonely” was a nicely judged moment, sung with feeling and restraint, adding a reflective note to the performance.

The young cast as a whole were impressive. Each performer combined solid acting ability with strong vocals, and together they created a believable sense of camaraderie. Yet within the laughter and music, there were serious undercurrents. Several of the female characters spoke of feeling trapped in East London, dreaming of a way out. Nearly all of them voiced a frustration that men didn’t take their ambitions seriously, brushing aside their hopes with a shrug. These themes of gender and class, woven into the banter and the songs, gave the show weight beneath its surface sparkle. Terry, playing the part of a cheeky cockney geezer, provided comic relief—his timing was excellent, and he showed a natural flair for comedy that kept the audience engaged.

By the end, I felt I’d been immersed not only in the joy of a legendary year but in its contradictions too: the optimism of youth set against the limits of social expectation. 1966 succeeds because it entertains and makes you think, reminding us that the past was never as simple as the golden glow of nostalgia suggests.

Reviewed by Pat Harrington

More information and tickets here

Leave a Comment

Fringe Review: The Elton John Story

August 17, 2025 at 9:36 am · Filed under Biographical, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025, Music, Night Owl ·Tagged , , , , , ,

Five black stars arranged in a row on a white background, indicating a five-star rating.

The Elton John Story is another triumph from the Night Owl stable, a show that manages to combine top-class musicianship with warmth and fun. Angus Munro and the Night Owl Band don’t attempt to impersonate Elton (although I was pleased to see some sequins and glasses!) —what they do instead is far more effective. They let the songs speak for themselves, and in doing so, they remind us why Elton John is one of the greats.

A live performance of The Elton John Story featuring a band on stage with a male pianist in a white suit and sunglasses, playing a red keyboard, accompanied by singers and instrumentalists.

From the opening number, the audience is swept along by a setlist that covers both the barnstorming anthems and the tender ballads. For me, there was a personal moment of joy when the band launched into Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. That album was my entry point into Elton’s world (though not on it’s release in 1973!), and the title track remains one of my favourite songs. Hearing it live here, handled with such respect and energy, felt like coming full circle.

The show doesn’t shy away from telling the story behind the songs either, and rightly gives space to Elton’s long-time songwriting partner, Bernie Taupin. Their partnership is one of the most remarkable in music. Bernie’s words and Elton’s melodies have been fused together for over half a century, producing classics like Rocket Man, Your Song, and Tiny Dancer. It’s a reminder that even the brightest star doesn’t shine alone—behind Elton’s showmanship has always been Bernie’s lyrical craft.

Angus Munro fronts the band with a mixture of power and charisma, his vocals soaring where they need to and softening at just the right moments. His piano playing gives the performance its heartbeat, and the Night Owl Band back him with energy and precision. There is plenty of humour in the delivery too—this is not a show weighed down with solemnity, but a celebration that often feels like a shared party.

One of the things I noticed as the show drew towards its finale was the atmosphere in the room. People were itching to dance—you could feel it. But British reserve, that old restraint, held most of us back. I’ll admit, I was tempted to start it off myself. Maybe next time I’ll be the one to break the ice, because I’m certain once one person gets up, the whole place will follow. A nudge from the stage might help too. After all, this is music meant to move us, body as well as soul.

The storytelling thread in the show also touches on Elton’s charity work, particularly the Elton John AIDS Foundation. It’s to the credit of the performers that this part is included. Elton’s legacy isn’t only measured in record sales and sold-out stadiums, but also in the lives he has touched and changed through his philanthropy. The Foundation has raised hundreds of millions to fight AIDS worldwide, a cause Elton has championed with tireless energy. That side of his story deserves just as much applause as his music, and I respect him greatly for it.

In the end, The Elton John Story works because it doesn’t treat the songs as relics of nostalgia but as living, breathing works that still connect. The audience laughed, sang along, and for a moment or two you could feel the whole room leaning forward, carried by the force of the music. It’s the kind of show that leaves you humming on the way out and smiling for hours afterwards.

Elton John once said that “music has healing power.” This show proves the point. It’s not an imitation—it’s a celebration. Next time, I’ll be ready to start the dancing.

Reviewed by Pat Harrington

More information and tickets here

Leave a Comment

Bob Dylan Under Cover (Night Owl Shows) – Edinburgh Fringe Review

August 15, 2025 at 5:20 pm · Filed under Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025, Music, Night Owl ·Tagged , , ,

Five black stars arranged in a row on a plain white background, indicating a high rating.

This is a smart, heartfelt hour that does more than run through the hits. It asks what we hear when we really listen to Dylan, and why those songs still matter. The show is not about nostalgia — the big issues Dylan sang about are still tragically with us. Racism, war, and social injustice remain as urgent as ever, and the performance never lets you forget that. A clever use of a video screen mixes images from the past and present, reinforcing how the struggles of the 1960s and 1970s continue to echo in our own time.

A young female performer playing guitar and singing on stage, with an attentive audience seated in front of her, illuminated by stage lights.
Kiah Spurle

What surprised me first was the front-person: Kiah, just 18, walking on alone with a guitar and two compact openers. Not a gimmick — a statement of intent. The voice is the draw: clear, expressive, with a warm grain that can swell into power without ever turning harsh. She has presence, too: relaxed, alert to the room, and unafraid to sit in the quiet. Then the Night Owl band join her and the show blooms — rhythm kicks in, the arrangements breathe, and we move from fireside intimacy to rolling folk-rock with purpose. It’s a neat dramatic arc that mirrors Dylan’s own journey from solo troubadour to electric icon.

Night Owl’s concept is part concert, part guided tour. The set pivots through eras and influences, giving you context without drowning the songs. Familiar titles land with fresh edges — “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Don’t Think Twice,” “Like a Rolling Stone” — but the point isn’t museum-piece reverence. The band’s reimagined approach keeps faith with the spirit while letting new colours in; it’s storytelling through arrangement, and it works because Kiah sings like she believes every line. Dylan himself once said, when asked why he didn’t do his own songs more back in the day, that he liked to think he made them his own. Kiah certainly makes Dylan’s songs her own.

Kiah’s age becomes an asset rather than an obstacle. There’s a lightness in how she frames the material — a wink here, a plain-spoken aside there — that sidesteps piety and finds the thread between 1960s protest, later self-invention, and now. Opening alone, then inviting the band in, makes the history legible without a lecture. By the time the fuller sound is roaring, you feel the continuity: how one voice with a guitar grew into a catalogue that could arm a whole room. The result is a show that’s accessible to casual listeners and rewarding for die-hards — the kind that leaves you humming the chorus but also thinking about the words.

As for the practicalities: this is the Night Owl machine in full swing — tight band, clean transitions, and a house style that’s won them loyal audiences across their Fringe slate. If you’ve seen their Carole King/James Taylor or Elton John offerings, you’ll recognise the craft; if not, this is a fine place to start. And yes, it really is Kiah Spurle leading the charge — she looks set to be one of the quiet success stories of this year’s music strand.

Bottom line: a genuinely thoughtful Dylan show with heart and muscle. Kiah’s voice is beautiful — bright, powerful, and emotionally tuned — and the band lift her without ever crowding her. I went in curious; I left convinced.

Reviewed by Pat Harrington

More information and tickets here

Comments (2)

Exploring the Spiritual Depth of Mayuri Bhandari’s Performance

August 15, 2025 at 6:48 am · Filed under Dance, Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025, Music, Spirituality/Philosophy, Theatre, Yoga ·Tagged , , , , ,

Five black stars arranged in a row against a light background, indicating a rating or review.

The Anti-Yogi reviewed 510 words, 3 minutes read time.

Mayuri Bhandari’s latest performance is part rallying cry, part spiritual challenge, and wholly engaging theatre. It does far more than showcase yoga as a physical practice—it digs deep into its philosophical roots, confronting the audience with uncomfortable but necessary questions. Bhandari places the principles of truthfulness and non-violence at the centre, not as abstract ideals but as urgent, living demands. She challenges us to consider whether these tenets survive intact in their Western incarnations, or whether they have been compromised, commodified, and stripped of their original depth. Her presence on stage radiates conviction, making it impossible to leave without questioning our own relationship to authenticity.

A digital artwork depicting a half-human, half-deity figure that merges elements of a woman and the goddess Kali, showcasing the duality of beauty and power. The left side features a human face with Indian jewelry, while the right side represents Kali with a blue skin tone and traditional adornments against a fiery background.

From the opening moments, it is clear that physicality is at the heart of this work. Bhandari moves with an astonishing blend of grace and power—one moment her gestures are fluid, almost meditative; the next, they are sharp, deliberate, and charged with the energy of Kali herself. Her dance is not simply a visual accompaniment to her words but an extension of them, embodying themes of resistance, destruction, and renewal. She engages the audience not just with what she says but with what she shows us through her body—every pose, turn, and gaze is deliberate, rooted in centuries-old traditions yet alive with contemporary urgency.

The live percussion from Neel Agrawal gives the performance an additional pulse—sometimes steady and grounding, sometimes urgent and insistent. His drumming doesn’t dominate; it listens and responds. There’s a visible and unspoken rapport between him and Bhandari, each reading the other’s energy in real time. This connection creates a sense of ritual unfolding before our eyes, where sound and movement merge into a single, living language. The rhythms carry the audience through the performance’s shifting emotional landscapes, from moments of fierce defiance to quiet, reflective stillness.

Traditional Indian elements are woven throughout, not as decorative tokens but as integral to the narrative. Reflections on Kali’s role in social justice give the work both gravitas and edge, allowing Bhandari to explore the goddess’s dual nature as destroyer and liberator. She uses this to confront the contradictions in how yoga is practised and sold in the West—how a tradition that calls for selflessness can become a lifestyle brand; how a path to liberation can be packaged in Lululemon bags. Humour cuts through the intensity at just the right moments, never diluting the message but reminding us that joy and resistance can coexist.

By the final moments, the audience has not only been entertained but invited into a process of reflection—about cultural appropriation, decolonisation, and the kinds of communities we wish to build. Bhandari’s performance is both a call to action and an act of preservation, reclaiming yoga’s ethos from the grip of commercialism and returning it to a place of depth, integrity, and connection. It’s a reminder that yoga’s truest form is less about the mat beneath your feet and more about how you move through the world once you step away from it.

Reviewed by Pat Harrington

You can find more information and buy tickets here

Leave a Comment

Ringing Bells: A Reflection on Life’s Changes

August 14, 2025 at 6:18 pm · Filed under Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025, Music ·Tagged , , , , ,

Five black stars on a white background, representing a rating system.


Ringing Out the Changes 334 words, 2 minutes read time.

Accompanied by Susannah, Eli and Geoffrey on handbells, the playwright Jo Clifford, (author of the controversial The Gospel according to Jesus, Queen of Heaven), reflects on the role of bells in the cycle of our lives.
Each of the handbells has a name:
Justice, Courage, Humility, Faithfulness, Continence, Patience, Reverence, Loyalty, Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. It’s all in the bells. Let’s live our lives in justice, have courage to make it happen, keep hoping, walk in peace, walk in joy, and live in love.
To the sound of various sets played by the three bell ringers, Jo gives a fascinating account of the use of bells in history. Bells conjured up unhappy school memories for Jo. Some of her audience might have similar miserable recollections.

A group of four individuals engaged in a discussion about handbells in a cathedral setting, with a table of handbells in front of them.

Bells often ring out to signify changes, good and bad. Church bells celebrated Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee and the bloody triumphs of Empire. Bells – specifically the bells of St Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh – tolled for the thousands of young men butchered in the trenches of the world wars. Bells rang out to celebrate victory in those wars. Bells rang to mourn Queen Elizabeth’s death and to celebrate the coronation of Charles III.
Bells were controversial in the early conflicts between Christianity and Islam and later around the Reformation. John Knox wasn’t a fan, but things moved on. Bells eventually found a place in the Protestant churches.
Jo tells the story of St Mary’s Cathedral, a testimony to two powerful women, Barbara and Mary Walker who led a quiet revolution. They inherited their father’s business and used the money to build the West End of the New Town. They set aside money to build a cathedral in their late mother’s name. They knew that there was more to life than just making money. They never lived to see the magnificent gothic revival cathedral take shape, but they had the vision to see it through.
Who knew that bells could be so interesting?

Reviewed by David Kerr

More information and tickets here

Leave a Comment

A Fresh Take on The Wizard of Oz: Talentz Team Review

August 12, 2025 at 11:26 am · Filed under Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025, Music, Musicals, Uncategorized ·Tagged , ,

Four black stars representing a rating or review.

142 words, 1 minute read time.

The youthful Talentz team bring a fresh perspective on the popular standard, The Wizard of Oz. All the familiar characters are there, Dorothy, Auntie Em, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion. In this production, inspired by the recent film, Wicked, Toto talks once the storm lands her and Dorothy over the rainbow into the land of Oz. I loved seeing things from a dog’s point of view.

A young actress dressed in a pink gown smiles brightly, holding a prop while performing on stage. Behind her, two actors portray the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion, with expressive poses, in a colorful theatrical setting.

We all know the story, how the motley crew follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City, beset by the vengeful Wicked Witch of the West. These young people deliver this enchanting story with a freshness and enthusiasm that captivates the audience and transports them to the magical land of Oz. My only criticism was that sometimes the accompanying music drowns out the singing in solo pieces.

Reviewed by David Kerr

More information and tickets here

Leave a Comment

Angela Mackenzie’s Captivating Gospel Choir Performance

August 11, 2025 at 1:00 pm · Filed under Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025, Gospel, Music ·Tagged , , ,

Four black stars in a row, representing a rating.

377 words, 2 minutes read time.

Florida native Angela Mackenzie, now based in Stirling, has assembled a very accomplished fifty-voice gospel choir. Leading from her grand piano, Angela brings bubbly enthusiasm to the stage in the historic New Town Church. The acoustics in this elliptical building enhance the quality of the music.


Coming from a Presbyterian tradition, I especially enjoyed the choir’s a cappella rendition of the ‘Old One Hundredth’, All People that on Earth do Dwell. The Amazing Life Gospel Choir are very versatile; some songs sung in unison, others in harmony. Apart from the piano, the choir were accompanied at times by drums, a violinist, a cellist, an electric keyboard, and an upright bass. The deep sonorous sound of Amazing Grace played on a solo cello is more felt than heard. It reaches down to the core of your soul.


The audience (or was it a congregation?) lapped it up. During an interval, a pastor from a local church gave a message, ‘What do you want more of in your life?’

A vibrant group of singers from the Amazing Life Gospel Choir performing on stage, showcasing a diverse range of expressions and enthusiasm.


I was less impressed by Angela’s altar call and the manipulative use of music to proselytise ‘for Jesus’ with reference to the penitent thief who died on a cross beside him. This was irritating me but then the mood changed. Angela asked from the stage for requests for songs. We got the old Carter Family standard; Will the Circle be Unbroken? Then a voice came from the back, Yeshua. Angela looked puzzled. ‘How does that go?’ A couple of voices started singing. Beautiful unaccompanied singing filled the church.


Angela was impressed. She invited the singers to come to the front of the church. They were members of a visiting South African choir. They sang their song, Yeshua a cappella with impressive harmonisation. They stole the show.


The concert concluded with an exuberant medley of I’ll Fly Away and When the Saints Go Marching In where everyone was up, singing, dancing and clapping in time with the music. It was a fantastic gig, and a reminder that music can unite, music can inspire boundless joy and delight, but it can also manipulate the emotions. That might not be the Holy Spirit touching your heart, but something more psychological. Something to think about.


Reviewed by David Kerr

More information and tickets here

Leave a Comment

Exploring Autism Through Music: A Unique Perspective

August 10, 2025 at 7:57 am · Filed under Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025, Musicals ·Tagged , ,

Five black stars arranged in a row on a light background, indicating a rating.

I’m Autistic – A New Musical 262 words, 1 minute read time.

What’s it like to live with autism? It’s so misunderstood by so many neurotypical people – and even a few autistic people themselves. With a dollop of good humour, pathos, and to-the-point songs, we meet three young people who are having a tough time with love, loss, parental relationships and their mental health. There’s Chloë, the ‘weird girl’ subjected to bullying in school whose best friend Liv is distancing herself from her to fit in with the nasty bullying ‘cool girls.’ There’s Nat, the boy who is awkward with girls as he doesn’t know to read the signals., There’s Lauren, the ace student who as part of a research project begins to realise that she is also autistic, but struggles for a formal diagnosis.

Three young actors performing in 'I'm Autistic – A New Musical,' with one person standing and two seated on an orange box, showcasing themes of autism and personal struggles.
Lauren, Nat, and Chloe

This musical pulls no punches. Officious medical procedures to diagnose autism, the confusion and helplessness of parents who want the best for their children but don’t know what to do, what to say, or where to turn, and well-meaning friends who make things worse all come under scrutiny.

Anyone living with autism or living with someone with autism will recognise one or more of the situations faced by the characters. In their own quirky and entertaining way, the young cast raise the issues that affect so many people and scotch a few myths along the way. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll be entertained. But you’ll also learn a bit more about this often-misunderstood condition. It’s a perfect antidote to Rain Man.

Reviewed by David Kerr

More information and tickets here

Leave a Comment

Melanie Gall Brings Piaf and Brel to Life

August 8, 2025 at 6:20 am · Filed under Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025, Music ·Tagged , , , , , ,

Four black stars representing a rating.

169 words, 1 minute read time.

The French chanteuse and the Belgian singer Jacques Brel both lived sad, chaotic lives. The only real love of Piaf’s life died in a plane crash. Brel was a heel. He abandoned his wife and family. Both died before they were fifty. Yet they each produced some of the world’s greatest music.

A performer in a blue dress sings passionately on stage, with a vintage microphone in front of her, under soft lighting.
Melanie Gall

Age differences meant that they could never have sung on the same stage. Melanie Gall – who hales from Alberta in Canada – imagines a concert of some of their best songs and makes a magnificent job of it. Milord, Non, je ne regrette rien, from Piaf, and Ne me quite pas, Amsterdam from Brel. She also brings back to life some of the artists’ lesser-known songs.

Melanie admits she looks nothing like Piaf – or Brel – but with an infectious mixture of awe for their musical genius and good humour in telling their stories, she holds the intimately small audience in the palm of her hand. It’s wonderful stuff.

Reviewed by David Kerr

More information on, and tickets for Piaf and Brel: the Impossible Concert can be found here

Leave a Comment

Reine Beau’s Tribute to Women in Rock

August 7, 2025 at 9:22 pm · Filed under Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025, Music, Night Owl ·Tagged , , , , , ,

Five black stars on a white background, representing a five-star rating.

Storming on to the stage with a powerful rendition of Joan Jett’s Bad Reputation, Reine Beau leads her audience on an educational trip through the history of the Women of Rock. I first saw Reine Beau last year when she presented The Blondie Story (reviewed here), which is on again this year.

Reine Beau performing on stage, passionately singing into a microphone while wearing a vibrant outfit, with a musician playing guitar in the background.

In front of a huge screen, she briefly outlines the importance of women in the rock and roll story. Who was the first woman rock star? I was confident that it was Janis Joplin. I was wrong. Sister Rosetta Tharpe played electric guitar in the 1930s! She had a white male backing band and toured with her female lover. How scandalous! She inspired Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley. She was the Godmother of Rock and Roll.

Another blues singer, Bessie Smith inspired Janis Joplin. Janis was the first woman to make it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Reine treated the audience to a rip-roaring interpretation of Piece of my Heart.

Then she turned to the career of my particular favourite, Suzi Quattro. Told that she could be a second Janis Joplin, she declared that she’d rather be the first Suzi Quattro. This is when it got even more interesting. Reine led us through the career of two band I’d never heard of before, Heart and The Runaways. What have I been missing all these years? I’ve checked out the songs Crazy on You and Cherry Bomb Reine delivered on Spotify. They’re absolutely brilliant!

From California, Reine steers us over to the Poet of Punk, Patti Smith with Because the Night, sings two songs from the Tina Turner songbook, before returning to Joan Jett. Joan’s a legend. She was turned down by 23 different record labels, so she set up her own, to help women get into music. She loved rock music. She wanted others to do the same.

As Reine Beau sang out the Joan Jett classic, I Love Rock and Roll, the screen fired up more legends not covered in this show, Siouxsie Sioux, Debbie Harry and others I didn’t recognise.

Rock and Roll is overwhelmingly male, but the Women of Rock have a very prominent place. To succeed, and even to get a hearing in the times they were breaking through, they needed more guts and determination than the men. They had it in spades. They did it. We’re all richer because of it. Their music will live on forever.

Reviewed by David Kerr

More information and tickets here

Leave a Comment

« Newer Posts · Older Posts »