A mammoth undertaking

This weekend it would have been our twentieth wedding anniversary, and I’ve understandably been feeling a bit down.  I thought that the best way to cheer myself up and get through the weekend would be to force myself to go out and do something. I checked what was on at Malvern Theatres, and found that I was in luck – they were showing The Blues Brothers Approved.  So I decided to take myself off out to the Saturday matinée. There were plenty of seats left, and I suspect that it would have been busier and had more atmosphere at the evening performance, but I’m too tired at the moment for a late night out.

The "Blues Brothers"

The act was basically a Blues Brothers tribute band, but one formally approved by Dan Ackroyd and Judith Belushi, so I expected the standard to be high and I wasn’t disappointed. The two main performers did a very good job of impersonating Jake and Elwood Blues, and sounded (and indeed danced) remarkably like them. They were supported by a six-piece band, and three backing singers (the Bluettes), all of whom were very good. They rattled through the standard Blues Brothers repertoire (Everybody Needs Somebody to Love, Sweet Home Chicago, Gimme Some Lovin’, Jailhouse Rock and the rest) at a fair old lick. Altogether they got through 32 numbers in two hours – and that included an interval.

It was a fun show – it’s impossible to feel depressed when you are tapping your foot to Shake a Tail Feather, or singing the audience responses to Minnie the Moocher. So I’m really glad I made the effort to go.