LIVE: Soul’ Good Man!, Perth @ Fringe World

Shane | 6 March 2018 | Reply

LIVE: Soul’ Good Man!, Perth @ Fringe World
459 Bar, North Perth
Reviewed by Karen Lowe

For a Tuesday night at Fringe, it usually takes something special to get people out – especially when it’s outside the usual hub so it was a pleasant surprise to see so many people at the 459 Bar to catch some soul music and from the very beginning of the evening the tone was set with an excellent playlist from the ‘50s/’60s and people were starting to get into it.

As soon as lead singer Rachel O’Hara opened her mouth for Aretha Franklin’s Respect, everyone there knew that the night held many promises, even though two of the back up singers did seem really shy and it felt like they were holding back. That was explained though by O’Hara as she told everyone that it was their first show.

“This next song is what really drove me towards soul music.” O’Hara said as they played Etta James I’d Rather Go Blind. They also played Mercy by Duffy and Nine Simone’s Feeling Good in which Enya O’Hara took over singing. Her voice is fantastic but it really felt like she wasn’t using it to her best ability – maybe that was to do with the arrangement or her confidence but I, for one, would love to see her sing that one again without holding anything back.

As the ladies took a quick break, the band had their own little jam with the classic Green Onions from Booker T. & The M.G.s, before Enya O’Hara sung Amy Winehouse’s Back To Black. All three singers perfectly complement each other and their harmonies were beautiful to listen to.

What lost the crowd however, is that everyone there expected more songs from early days of soul. More Etta James, more of The Temptations, more Roberta Flack – especially seeing as it was an older crowd who didn’t know the song from The Sapphires movie, didn’t know Duffy and certainly didn’t know Whatta Man by Salt n’ Pepa.

Their voices and their talent did make up for the lack of the well known soul songs however and if they can get that balance of old vs new; when their confidence has built up and they gel more as a band; you can see that they have the potential to make this show rise from just a good show to one that people will be talking about months after the music has ended.