Now I know why I found myself in the front row for this Brisbane Powerhouse performance. It's a little hard to see the stage from there. But I don't care because I was watching Deep Blue and the show was amazing from start to finish.
Deep Blue are a string ensemble who combine string playing with theatrics and audience interaction (via smartphones and tablets) and in this case story-telling and sand-art as well as an excellent tabla player. I loved them when I saw them on Australia's Got Talent in 2011 (you know with Cosentino and Timomatic and Jack Vidgen) where they made it to the Semi Final round. I liked them even more when I realised Greta Kelly was one of the group. For those who don't know I'm a fan of Brisbane world music group MZAZA for which Greta plays violin (geez, what a surprise, the Sage likes the violinist) and Persian spiked fiddle.
Deep Blue started with three members playing classical music. I'm sorry but I don't know their names, and they were not introduced. They were charming and rather funny - two of them on violin and one on cello. The cellists spent most of the performance carrying their instruments, so they are obviously a rather fit group :) They joked that for the people who had accidentally wandered in expecting a classical concert that that was it.
The show was based around the groups visit to India and they told and portrayed stories of their experiences there. They visited one of the largest slums in the world where people made a living recycling everything that was thrown away. There was music and choreography that mimicked celebrations and fighting. Being as close as I was, the "fight" scene was very intense and dramatic, and the expressions on the faces were very intense. As well as the choreography there was playing on stilts, and playing while jumping rope. There was singing (which was as good as it was unexpected). There was a "clock" scene that reminded me of Metropolis - I don't know if that was intentional. There were people that were playing as they stood on a double-bass. One thing I saw that I wanted to learn was the duet: two people close together, both playing the violin, only they would each play the left hand on their own violin and use the bow on the other person's violin! There were kids who had been taught a song that day - they were awesome too, and made me miss my Patience. The music was all Indian-themed, even the version of Paint It Black. And there was a choir to finish off. The encore started with a tabla solo, during which I thought that guy had like three or four hands, Turns out he was just really really good.
Perhaps the only thing missing was pyrotechnics and a trapeze LOL
The only part I could not get into was the electronic interactivity. Sorry for being old-fashioned and all, but there was too much going on stage for me to be watching the monitors and texting answers to questions like "what would make you turn to crime" (a starving and desperate family) or "if you saw a red door would you paint it black" (no, but I might wonder why it was red). The screens were getting plenty of interactivity without my help. I was happy just to watch and listen.
If you get a chance to see these guys and girls, take it. They may have started off as an experiment in contemporary orchestra but I think they are certainly going in the right direction.
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