When I first heard of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, I have to say, I didn't expect it to be my thing. Then someone showed me online videos and I was brought onside. I am pleased to say that after tonight's performance I am fully converted!
The gig was held at the Riverside Leisure Centre, which threw me: I wasn't even aware they put gigs on there! Walking in I was dreading the acoustics, but I was pleasantly surprised. The sound quality and mix was perfect, with every instrument and vocal part clearly audible, which is a good thing, as the Ukulele Orchestra are jokers and entertainers as much as they are musicians!
Pretty much every song is introduced with a tongue in cheek bit of banter, and most are played rather tongue in cheek as well. The set ranges from punk tracks (Should I Stay Or Should I Go) to Daft Punk (Get Lucky), with absolute highlights of the set being a sea shanty version of The Who's Pinball Wizard and a 'hot jazz' take on Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights that had the audience laughing out loud at points.
A fantastic evening of well-played music and great entertainment, there was nothing wrong with tonight's performance. I think what pleased me most was the fact that I hadn't seen any of tonight's songs while trawling their videos, showing just how broad and eclectic their set is, and with every single member of the band singing at least once during the set, it also shows the incredible talent this band has.
If you, like me when I first heard the name, don't think this is going to be your thing, at least look them up online. Better yet, go and see them live. You may be surprised…
