Rainy Day and Mondays: The Carpenters Story

I’m hard to please sometimes. Had I gone to see Rainy Day and Mondays: The Carpenters Story, and the singer had not been up to it I would have been cross, but my word this girl can sing. Claire Furley manages to capture the sweet and sad poignancy of Karen Carpenter’s voice perfectly and the band had the sound off pat too, including that guitar solo and some immaculate wind playing. The band had the audience in the palms of their hands and singing along too, eventually rising to their feet and dancing. What fun, an evening filled with some of the best pop music ever penned and performed with authenticity and respect. So why hard to please? Well there was no story, as billed, simply the music and some rather feeble slides. I had a great time but I felt let down that it was merely a concert.

Theatre Royal Brighton, 29 April 2012

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