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Review: Night at the Movies, Swing Unlimited, Regent Centre, Christchurch




An evening in the company of big band ensemble Swing Unlimited was a spirit-lifting experience for Regent Centre patrons.

There was an air of unapologetic sophistication, readily denoted by dinner jackets, posh frocks and the elegance of their host venue. But solemn or self-conscious the performance was not, never boiling over into preciousness nor abandoning its sense of knockabout good humour. It was an approach full of not only musical virtuosity but joie de vivre that has seen Swing Unlimited build a solid regional following, attested to by the capacity audience.

Swing Unlimited Big Band
Swing Unlimited Big Band

Turning their hand to a selection of classic movie themes, musical director James Stead was an enthusiastic raconteur and historian of film soundtracks. There was clearly a strongly entrenched affection for the book, look and, on vocal intermissions that included Sinatra standards (well you could hardly be a swing band and not go there), lyrics of classic music scores. Despite an affection bordering on reverence, several arrangements were the group’s own, providing a bespoke sampling of the enchantments of the silver screen.

Swing Unlimited Big Band
Swing Unlimited Big Band

So alongside staples such as Jaws, Star Wars and a medley of Bond themes, James was unashamed to admit that they’ve found more tenuous filmic connections for parts of the repertoire because they happened to love the song concerned. The rich brass plunges and call and responses of ELO’s Mr Blue Sky offered a sterling example, drawing out its natural symphonic quirkiness and proving itself entirely worthy of shoehorn status. Visually the performance was equally arresting; the liquid dapples of silver and gold brass instruments twitch and swerve in a shifting neon canvas like dueling cavaliers. The mock confrontation between competing trombonists was legitimately rib-tickling, making the best use of an instrument naturally lent to comic absurdity (and, it has to be said, fart noises).

Swing Unlimited Big Band
Swing Unlimited Big Band

The set was tightly orchestrated and includes both a Disney and John Williams medley (if you think you don’t know any John Williams soundtracks, you do, you really do). It would have bordered on negligence not to include a couple of excerpts from The Blues Brothers in there, the latter Everybody Needs Somebody to Love, was a barnstormer at the close of the set accompanied by some improbably athletic dance moves from some, quite possibly, improbably aged musicians.

Swing Unlimited Big Band
Swing Unlimited Big Band

All in all it was a very, very satisfying and spirit-lifting evening and, let’s face it, when did you last go to a gig which wasn’t ruined by people holding a smartphone over their head right in front of you. It was also nice to see such a large band (I cannot possibly imagine the logistics involved) so profoundly engrossed in their love of music and so joyous in sharing that with their audience.

Alex Ogg



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