Legends In Concert - Music Review

What: Legends In Concert
When: 18 - 20 January
Where: The Palms At Crown
Performers: J.C. Brando, Damien Brantley, David Brighton, Kimberly Goltry, Kevin Mills, Frank Moore, and Kelly Smith

Legends In Concert

Everything 80s is hot again and to celebrate The Palms at Crown has brought Legends In Concert back to Melbourne after a 17 year absence. Madonna, Prince, Micheal Jackson, David Bowie, and a couple of ring-ins (Adele and Elvis Presley) take our minds off the scorching summer heat to bring us some of the favourite songs we grew up and with all the iconic moves we learnt on the dance floor.

2016 was a difficult year for the music industry and many great artists were lost to us, so it was wonderful to have the evening kicked off with the one and only Prince (Moore). 'Purple Rain' nearly brought the house down and I was jumping out of my seat with 'Little Red Corvette' and '1999'.

A new addition to the Legends In Concert line up is Olivia Newton-John (Smith) and you could have heard a pin drop during 'I Honestly Love You' everybody was so entranced. David Bowie (Brighton) ended the first half of the show in brilliant style with amazing costumes and moves from the back up dancers.

Everything about this show is glitzy and stylish with amazing attention to detail. The costumes are mind boggling, the impersonations absolutely spot on, and the back up band is smokin' with skills we can only dream of.

The second act had some of the biggest names in music pop history but I confess my favourite was Madonna (Gotling). This won't surprise anybody who knows me, but what may be surprising is why Gotling impressed me so much. Most of the performers sang the music as recorded - which was fantastic and what we all wanted and expected. Gotling, on the other hand, was Madonna in concert.

I am sure there are all sorts of copyright issues involved with this but as a result (for those of us who are true fans of Mads) we got one of the most original and high energy segments of the night. Not only did Gotling have the moves and music down - including the artistry with which Madonna changes and arranges her songs in concert - but she even had Madonna's breathing idiosyncrasies and altered live vocal tuning down pat! It was masterful and unexpected and lifted the whole event out of the ordinary.

Having said that, Mills' Elvis had a bit of this going on as well, and Brando as Adele was positively celestial. Not only does she have the vocal replication down to perfection but her transitions between Adele the amazing singer, to Adele the cheeky Tottenham girl still in awe of her success was cognitive dissonance at it most exhilerating.

I don't know whether to be proud or embarrassed I knew nearly every song by heart but regardless, this was a fun night which left both me and my Gen Y plus one screaming, whooping, and bouncing around in our seats the whole night. Legends In Concert is only in Melbourne for three nights so get your tickets now because this is some of the most fun you will have this summer.

5 Stars