Paul Capsis Adelaide Cabaret Festival
The highlight of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival had to be Paul Capsis, just ask the audience to this sold out show. From the minute he seductively walked onto the stage of The Famous Spiegeltent in his purple faux fur jacket (he said it used to be his Mother’s rug in a former life) he then began to belt out the old Skyhooks hit Ego Is Not a Dirty Word shaking the tent and everyone in it. It started with a bang and it was a full blown rock and rock experience for the rest of the night, as he proclaimed, “If I didn’t have an ego, I might not be here tonight!”
It’s been 5 years since Capsis has been to Adelaide and he got a little emotional when he talked about his Windmill Theatre family. There was plenty of emotion is this show. Whether it be sentimental or just pure heart and soul he rocked it and he made it sexy. Singing hits like Sonny Bono’s Bang Bang, Janis Joplin’s Piece of My Heart and Tina Turners, Proud Mary with his signature edgy intense rock style mesmerising and enchanting us for an hour.
Channelling Amy Winehouse for her song Back in Black then getting intense with the Suicides’ Ghostrider when he screamed “America, America is killin’ its youth.” Words never more relevant for today.
When Artistic Director Julia Zemiro asked Capsis to perform at this years Adelaide Cabaret Festival it was on condition he talked not just sing. He described his banter with the audience as ‘Ted Talk with songs’ telling us “It’s all bitter. Nothing good to say.” But it was all good by the audience reaction. Lapping up every word and wanting more “Remember Rock n Roll, lets never forget Rock n Roll.”
Special mention to the band Jethro Woodward and the Fitzroy Youth Orchestra. Woodward certainly delivered the promised high octane rock which was the perfect fit for Capsis’ rock energy.
Finishing the night with two songs for the encore Lana Del Ray’s Cruel World and Nina Simone’s version of Feeling Good. Capsis sings with angst, passion and with deep emotion. You find yourself absorbed in his world, high from his energy and leaving in a rock n roll frenzy.
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