Amici Forever (gig)

Amici Forever, supported by Cello Diva
Sydney Opera House Concert Hall (22nd Feb, 2006)

The tickets were a Christmas present to my mum. I expected my dad to go with her but recently he's been incapable of sitting still for more than 10 minutes at a time so I ended up taking his place.

The support act began promptly at 8pm. Cello Diva consisted of a female cellist and a male pianist who bantered amusingly throughout their set (even stopping to take a picture with the crowd for the grand 'playing at the Opera House' occasion). The playlist consisted of recognisable classical, folk and easy listening tunes, which pleased most of the crowd, though the duo were probably better suited to a more intimate venue as the instrument + accompaniment sounded a bit thin from U row (in the dress circle), where we were sitting. Unfortunately there was a 30 minute break between the support and Amici Forever. After mum and I had trudged up so far, so deep into the rafters it seemed a waste to try and battle our way out again (plus we didn't know how long the intermission was) and we had no reason to leave our seats.

I wasn't sure what to expect. Amici is one band that seems to have jumped on the popera bandwagon started by young Charlotte Church and populated by the likes of Il Divo, Patrizio ('The Italian'), Anthony Callea and even Katie Noonan. I liked their debut album 'The Opera Band' but not being classically trained, wasn't sure where it stood in the credibility stakes. That said, they all sung beautifully and, most importantly, with passion so I'm happy to say that my $90 per ticket was well spent.

The set list was a mix of all their albums; opera, musicals, anthems and mainstream ballads, which sounds rather predictable, but they mixed it up with fantastic ensemble work, taking turns to lead and providing interesting backing vocals and harmonies when not. It is also important to note that they can't dance to their vocals, largely because the songs don't have the right tempo, but also because of the lung work needed to hit the high notes. Instead the visual element is cleverly choreographed by fluid movement between the four of them, almost in a walking dance. It also helps that the two sopranos are stunning, highlighted by their glamorous wardrobe and the boys aren't bad-looking either.

My favourite part was when they sat on stools and each sung a personal song not on any of their albums, which we were told is a regular part of their live performances. It was great to hear each of their voices solo but, much more than that, it reinforced my view of their passion in an appropriately vocal manner. Most touching was Geoff's rendition of 'My Way' after he explained that he was going to spend some time with his recently diagnosed autistic daughter but also recounted a story about an incident eight years ago when, as an investment banker, everyone laughed at him when he claimed he was one day going to sing at the Opera House.

All in all a positive opera experience - rich but without the decadence that can often make opera boring. Not too much pandering to plebs but not too high falutin either.

*** 1/2 - a balanced performance brimming with confidence and dedication