Tonight, to the Grüner Salon of the Volksbühne, for my
latest bit of multi-coloured Berlin entertainment.
And another splendid evening.
Actually after Felix Bloch Erben’s lavish and lovely
riverside party yesterday, I thought I wouldn’t be saying ‘Viva il vino’ for a
few hungover days: but….
Tonight, my date was with ‘Riccardo Vino and the
Technicolors’.
Sounds odd doesn’t it. I’ve no idea why the 6-part band are
Technicolors (especially as they were all dressed in unrelieved black), but what’s
in a name?
The Grüner Salon was the ideal place for this programme. A
slightly tatty 1930s 200-seater salle, decked out with green everythings, a
jolly good bar (nooooo!), an excellent sound system, glitter balls, lovely
waitresses … took me back to the Blackpool of my young days.
He chatted (in German, and a little too much) and sang (in
Italian and English, and not enough) to the music of his excellent band through
an interesting musical evening, with, as always, some highs and lows. We had
everything from ‘Arrivederci Roma’ to ‘By a Waterfall’, to a particularly good
version of ‘The Trolley Song’, via some much more novel, tasty and tuneful stuff from
the Italian back catalogue.
Let me say right away, it was a thoroughly enjoyable
evening. The ‘act’ – which was in the way of being a first-time showcase – has
a very definite potential. But at the moment it doesn’t quite know where it’s
going. The first half I found delightful: grand 1930s-ish songs, sung with a
perfect command of the manner, and with stylish little touches and movements that
made me think of the wonderful French (I don’t know the Italians) chanteurs de
charme of the years between the wars.
But the second half wandered off into a (well-done)
imitation of a 50s pop singer and a rather unpleasant song about American
whisky (?!!!) and rock’n’roll … and all the work done, so successfully, to
establish the personnage of the charming Italian light-comedy-leading-man in
part one went down the drain. We were into il signor Vino doing his cabaret
act.
Is that what the show is supposed to be? If so, shame.
Because the Riccardo of part one was what I wanted to see. He was delicious.
Let him sing about ‘primavera’ and ‘amore’ and leave the Americano stuff to the
folk who aren’t gifted as he is.
Il Signor Vino is a work in progress. If he gets the right
help, I am sure he will progress fast. And make himself a name. If I were still
an agent, I’d take him on: and shackle him securely to the 20s and 30s
repertoire …
But, I’m not, so, in the meantime, I’ll just watch and wait
… and say, good luck Riccardo, your future is really in your own hands…
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