I didn’t miss them a few weeks ago at Jazz Uncovered. It was a superb gig. There was a good crowd, comfortably ensconced in a large hall with a very good PA, everyone a bit weary after a solidly music-rich day. Wanderlust performed a 90 minute set, so there was no rush. The grooves were steady and evolving, the melodies were those simple but insinuatingly ones that we love from this band. The players were close and interactive, keeping eyes open and smiling freely, and the solos expressed this aurally. John Mackey sat in towards the end, playing his explosive style but perfectly in synch. It was a memorable gig, so it was with some disappointment that I didn’t catch this visit.
But it wasn’t a wasted night. Megan and I went back 400 years to Ben Johnson’s comedy of conmen, The Alchemist, performed with energy and masses of patter, by the Bell Shakespeare and Queensland Theatre Companies. It's a very different experience and quite out of time, despite the claims of relevance in this time of the GFC. And what got me was how verbal plays of this era were. There was just such a massive amount of text: over two hours of rapid fire, non-stop patter. I enjoy language (I’m no film buff; they are too often too visual) and this had one lengthy script. Quite an effort on everyone’s part, but worth a chuckle.Just click on the comments link below and have your say on Wanderlust, or even The Alchemist if you so desire.
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