We went to the South Bank last night to see the wonderful Puppini Sisters, full of post-Xmas relief, and in need of a laugh. What a peculiar evening it turned out to be...
OK, we have nothing against Mr McAlmont (David) - we weren't expecting a support act, but he's quite good. Even when he turned out to be there not to sing, but to play as DJ, spinning some jolly 1940s tunes as a warm-up, we didn't mind. However this caused some rumblings amongst the audience, who began complaining they'd turned up at 7.30pm to see the Puppinis and not to "listen to the radio".
Like sheep, this discontent led to one or two walk-outs, followed by a few more, and more, loudly proclaiming they wanted their money back. Fearing a riot, the management unexpectedly announced an early (and extended) interval, poor David departed the stage, and we milled out to queue at the loos and the bar. I have never known anything like it at any concert before - and believe me, I've seen some crap support acts!
The atmosphere was still a bit chilly when the curtain call rang out, and we resumed our seats for the arrival of the main event. I love the Puppini Sisters, and they did us proud with their jaunty Andrews Sisters-style pastiches of classic numbers like Heart of Glass, Crazy in Love, The Smiths' Panic, and Wuthering Heights, together with some original 1940s material, and their own numbers - including my personal favourites (I Can't Believe I'm Not A) Millionaire and Soho Nights.
Despite a very shaky costume change (which presumably took so long because we'd had our unplanned interval so early), they gave a sterling performance in the face of the bloody awful acoustics of the Queen Elizabeth Hall, and the miserable faces of the audience - who were quite pathetic when it came to the sing-a-long numbers.
I can't help wondering if the Puppini Sisters should stick to what they know - they are at their very best in smaller, club-style venues, after all. Both the venue and the South Bank audience seemed to conspire to make this a less-than-perfect evening with an otherwise brilliant act.
Here's a collection of the girls' greatest...
Puppini Sisters
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