Adelaide Fringe 2017 Review:

Renee Geyer

****

When Renee Geyer opens her mouth and sings, her life story pours out. Not that she tells the audience about her journey through the years, you can simply hear the bumps in the road, the loves lost, the wonder, the lessons learned and those she chose to obtusely push aside. Her voice gives you an insight into her soul.

She is an integral, long serving member of Australia’s music scene. Her, at times, belligerent off stage persona has recently been in the spotlight, so too has her commitment to producing a revered body of work. In 2015, she was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. In the same year, she was involved in an incident at a Sydney hotel and was recently placed in a one year good behaviour bond.

You can hear the light and shade in her finely tuned magnificent voice.

The audience was left in awe of the performer as she commanded both the crowd and her backing band.

She told the crowd a circular stand-alone stage, which meant she’d have to move from the cocoon of her band, was not for her and was best left in her Countdown days. Yet, as soon as she ventured onto it she shone, like the spotlight recharged her. So much so, an audience member presented her with some flowers. She seemed uncomfortable in the moment, later commenting that flowers were not “her thing”.

Renee Geyer may not be for everyone, but everyone simply must see her perform. She epitomises vocal mastery. The audience were on their feet dancing during her final song, wanting more. And with a new album in the pipeline, it looks like her ardent fans may get what they wish for – a longer set-list and more time in the presence of a true performer.

Four out of five stars.

Bianca x