Staging an event like Teatru Unplugged for 15 years is no mean feat, and yet the organisers have, year in, year out, succeeded in fielding line-ups that capture some of the best local talent. More importantly, they have consistently also presented new, up-and-coming artists with a prestigious showcase opportunity they will most likely remember for the rest of their lives. And this year’s edition was no different.
Though relatively short, Duo Kukkanja’s set was, in my books at least, one of the best on the night
With programme in hand, I sat myself down for Sunday night’s closing performance, which kicked off with young Paolo Micallef. Accompanied by Paul Abela on piano, he stepped up to the challenge with a lot of confidence, revealing none of the nerves one might expect from a young musician performing at the Manoel Theatre.
I’m still in two minds, however, about the choice of songs he was given to sing. Both Elton John’s Crocodile Rock and Credence Clearwater Revival’s Proud Mary involve some tasking high notes that Micallef seemed to struggle with. Nevertheless, there’s no denying he has talent, along with tons of stage presence and a vocal depth that belies his young age. Paul Micallef is a name I’m sure we’ll hear of again in a few years.
The first of the six main acts on the night was Duo Kukkanja. The brainchild of Justin Galea and Steve ‘id-Delli’ Delia, this act is focused on songs sung in Maltese, which isn’t something we get too often at Teatru Unplugged. Their light-hearted performance and rousing delivery of Freddie Portelli’s Għal Dejjem, The Tramps’ Xemx (which could have done with a little less vocal vibrato) and the highly original compositions Farm Fight and Li Kieku went down very well with the audience.
Apart from reflecting the revived general interest in Maltese music that has resurfaced in recent years, this might also suggest that Maltese songs should perhaps feature more regularly at events like this . Though relatively short, Duo Kukkanja’s set was, in my books at least, most certainly one of the best on the night.
The reason I say one of the best is because of the next act, who was just as appealing. Armed with just her guitar and voice, the young and petite Alex Alden looked slightly overwhelmed by all the space around her onstage at first, which is understandable since this was her first appearance at Teatru. Not that it affected her performance; on the contrary, she served up a set that rolled in with very effectively customised takes of The Verve’s Bittersweet Symphony and Foster The People’s Pumped Up Kicks.
Her interpretation of Iris (Goo Goo Dolls) pretty much ran along the original’s acoustic backbone, which incidentally, is a style that Alden is quite a dab hand at, as her original numbers The Traveller and current radio favourite Dancing Alone showed only too well.
Next up was Skarlet, whose performance I was particularly looking forward to because of the band’s intriguing line-up. After all, a band featuring Renzo Spiteri on drums and percussion, Simon Vella on violin and Keith Muscat (Kiko) on guitar can hardly bring anything but a fresh twist to the pop equation.
I must admit that despite being quite a tight outfit, a couple of the songs sounded somewhat linear in some aspects, more so when compared to the sublime interpretation of Gotye’s Somebody That I Used to Know and Maroon 5’s Moves like Jagger.
Sandrina Degabriele has a fantastic vocal timbre without a doubt, but a little more attention to melody would have injected that extra oomph that the other songs needed.
The second part of the show started with Teatru Unplugged veterans Scar, who presented a set that shows they are all too familiar with what the typical crowd is after.
Three original numbers, among them latest single White Lie, off their second album Breaking Radio Silence, were delivered in stripped-down versions and rather interestingly re-arranged to incorporate cello and harp. Their own songs were complemented by a cover of The Script’s Breakeven and, going against the grain, an acoustic rock version of David Guetta’s dance smash hit Without You, which did its part in firing up the audience.
Fire came on next, and as expected of this classic rock act, their set was built around staple guitar anthems and an original, Manhunter. As powerful an entrance as Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song may pack, Fire’s version didn’t quite cut it, partly because the vocals didn’t evoke any of the power of the original, and partly because electric guitar songs don’t always translate well into acoustic numbers.
This, unfortunately, was a recurring factor throughout the rest of Fire’s set, with Pejxa’s solos sounding intermittent rather than the seamless guitarwork he is known to create when he has an electric guitar in hand. On a positive note, the songs did sink in well with the audience, of which Play that Funky Music and Ace of Spades were the better numbers.
The last act on was Peter and Papps, with more friends in tow this time around. Entrusted with the headlining slot and, like Scar, no stranger to Teatru Unplugged, their set was made up entirely of predictable crowd-pleasers. Yet while songs like Hallelujah, Are You Gonna be my Girl, Message in a Bottle, Everlong and especially Sex on Fire are an undisputed guarantee that the night would end on a high, it wouldn’t have hurt to give the songs their own twist rather than the straightforward cover treatment.
A final word goes to the comperes, Gordon, Rodney and the tree, which they clearly became very attached to in the course of their three-day sojourn at Teatru Unplugged.
Yes, some of their antics and scripts were a tad clichéd at times, but overall I thought they were very entertaining, possibly among the best comperes Teatru Unplugged has had to date. Another year, another edition, and while I felt the wow factor (on Sunday night at least) wasn’t quite as consistent as it has been in past editions, it was an entertaining event overall.
Merry Christmas everyone!