Reviewed by Paul Poulton

Snazzy, smart and I'd like to say slick, but the slickness department is missing. But two out of three's not bad. Two drummers both on high risers give a professional look to the well laid out stage set. The roving crane camera swoops on and skims the audience, but not too often I'm glad to say; the main focus is the stage, we see enough of the audience to make the viewer feel a part of the concert which begins slowly but mounts up. I've heard "Lord I Lift Your Name On High" sung to a number of different arrangements but never heard it to the backdrop of Jackson 5's "ABC", that was cool. The band comes up with the goods too, excellent guitar playing by Fergus Malone, neat licks with enough Jazz thrown in to engage my ears and make them prick up like a Vulcan's. John Fisher fronts the show and takes us through IDMC's long set, introducing guests along the way including Green Jade, who perform "Change Your Attitude", their singing is par excellence. There's also poetry and dancing: Black people wearing scary white masks dance a neat routine, it was fun, a bit like the Black and White Minstrels in negative; is that PC? Who cares? IDMC have their own dance routines, it is their concert after all, they can do what they want, and do. Some of the backing vocalists look like they're passionately into it while others look around wondering what's for supper, even John seems to be holding something back. 87 percent attack, 13 percent lacklustre, but without a doubt the 87 percent makes the presentation enjoyable. More cohesion between songs and artists, (which could have been done by editing) and dancing like no one was watching would have added the slick.  

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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