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A life-size cardboard Lionel Richie presided over ‘Gorgeous’ George and Guy ‘Juice FM’ Lloyd’s sketch show for this year’s Fringe. There was strong support for the pair in the house tonight, which helped smooth over the occasional misfiring skit. The odd technical hitch and a couple of patchy running jokes were compensated for by some daft prop work, confectionary-related audience bribery and George and Guy’s smart appreciation of modern pop. The duo’s use of synchronised dance routines, bizarre video inserts and peculiar trouserwear added variety to an evening caught between teatime BBC wackiness and something more surreal and disturbing.

Upstairs At The Three and Ten, 15 May
Rating:
Stuart Huggett

The husband and wife duo, formerly known as Indigo Moss, encouraged the sitting crowd to remain on the floor for opener ‘Spin Me A Rhyme’. With their simple guitar and complimenting harmonies, the Pavilion Theatre was transformed into a makeshift folk club; Trevor looking very Tom Paxton in his fisherman’s cap and harmonica brace. There was a hushed reverence for ‘Stargazers Colour’, with both having separate guitar and vocal parts while sharing a single microphone. Gazing into each others eyes throughout they finished with the lovely ‘Making It Count’; a Simon & Garfunkel meets The Everly Brothers number.

Pavilion Theatre, Brighton Dome, 13 May
Rating:
Steve Clements

This private courtyard on Middle Street was a great location for an afternoon gig and is an essential staple of The Great Escape – a hidden treasure away from the madness going on in town. Miami’s ANR provided the perfect soundtrack to the sunshine with a set of Summery keyboard and live drums dance tunes. EMA also went down well but their shoegazey sound left me cold. Headliners Frankie & The Heartstrings were a great choice to close proceedings and the cheeky chappies were in high spirits with singer Frankie Francis perched atop a speaker stack while getting heckled by the drummer.

Shipwrights Yard, 14 May
Rating:
Steve Clements

The siblings from Muscle Shoals, Alabama began with a trademark Southern Gothic number. A jaunty cover of George Jones’s ‘Tell Me Why’ highlighted their country roots and this theme was continued with Patsy Cline’s ‘Leaving On Your Mind’ – pure classic country. The Everlys’ ‘Devoted To You’ showed they were their female equivalent, with gorgeous harmonies tinged with sadness. Looking the part in their vintage dresses, Laura and Lydia Rogers’ own ‘Tennessee Me’ was as authentic as the earlier classics they covered. The gospel blues of new song ‘River Jordan’ and acapella ‘You Belong To Me’ completed a set we didn’t want to end.

Pavilion Theatre, Brighton Dome, 14 May
Rating:
Steve Clements