The Chamber at THE QUEENS, Sat 27 Feb.
After 35 years of a fearsome reputation while on stage, youâd think that even the most casual audience member would not be foolish enough to want to âjoin inâ, while artist, painter, performer and former Doug Anthony All Star is doing a show. Youâd think wrong, but more of that shortly.
Paul McDermott has joined forces with cabaret powerhouse Catherine Alcorn for a brief run at THE QUEENS. Letâs cut to the chase and say up front they are MAGNIFICENT! from Alcornâs spine-tingling opener of Dog Days Are Over (Florence & The Machine), to Paulâs impressive beard, tight-as-a-drum band, everything was splendid. While Catherineâs songs were top shelf cabaret interpretations songs you know, in particular turning Phil Collinsâ In The Air Tonight into a smouldering Peggy Lee-squee Fever arrangement, Paul was performing a batch of new songs written in COVID lockdown. Not the most obvious avenue for entertainment, but itâs soon obvious Paul has turned it into a free-way of fun.
The Beach Boysâ vibe of Touchscreen sets the tone asking why people (especially in Adelaide) seem to not give a shit about the pandemic any more. Itâs a summery, sing-a-long type tune that I was humming it all the way home. And it just wouldnât be McDermott if he didnât head into some murky waters; Living Alone (Isnât Living) takes a step back from the DAAS song about necrophilia, but only a small one. He vamps on the end of this in a clearly unrehearsed way as guitar player Glenn Moorhouse is doubled over laughing.
Alcorn pays tribute to John Farnhamâs backing singer Lisa Edwards with an hilarious (if a tad long) medley of Farnsey hits where the backing singers have very little to do. Itâs around now a woman at the back has a few things to say. Itâs a suicide mission. Paul stops talking and explains there is a reason the microphones are pointed at the performers and not to the audience. He dedicates the next song to her, with the lyrics âWe love you, we love you, but can you just shut the fuck up?â. Maybe unsurprisingly, itâs called Song For The Karen.
Better Friends is peak McDermott â beautifully sung with three-part harmony in a song about there being âNothing wrong with moving on and finding better friendsâ as a relationship comes to its end. They see us out with a stunning When The War Is Over. An absolute joy and left me hungry for Paulâs other show which starts on Tuesday at Rhino Room.