Review: Raul Malo, Sage Gateshead
By David Gillon, Evening Chronicle
Young reviewer DAVID GILLON catches Raul Malo at The Sage Gateshead.
RAUL Malo opened in magnificent fashion, serenading the audience with his new single Hello Again, an upbeat blend of pop and country which had his fans nodding their heads in jovial appreciation.
However, the vivacious atmosphere created by Malo’s strong opening was gradually eroded as the show continued.
It soon became apparent that The Mavericks former frontman’s set was merely a selection of songs which regurgitated the beat, tune and tone of that which preceeded.
His voice slowly degenerated from a loud and clear musical expression to an annoying, forced whine, sung through clenched teeth with little passion whatsoever.
A diverse range of instruments, played to near perfection by Malo’s accompanying musicians, seemed unjustified when combined with Malo’s whimsical vocal display.
Ultimately, even Malo’s personal rendition of numerous old hits from his years with The Mavericks failed to entertain and enliven the mood.
A brief return to the earlier promised musical splendour was provided via Malo’s self-written song concerning Cuba, sung in both Spanish and English, finally allowing Malo to demonstrate his vast array of musical abilities.
Yet, in spite of this glimmer of hope, the remaining songs sadly saw a return to the dull, monotonous rhythms he had earlier performed. However, Malo was notably outstanding in his interaction with the audience, drawing fits of laughter at his jokes between songs.
But his comical turns failed to mask his weak musical concept, incomprehensibly trying to blend old country with contemporary jazz, resulting in a confused rhythm and distorted sound.
Malo’s support act featured the talented Gem Andrews, yet her wonderful vocal range couldn’t rescue her performance.
Her set suffered from a repetitiveness which became all too familiar throughout the night. Indeed her songs all seemingly lacked an established chorus, instead operating as a continuous, jumbled drone, leaving me bored.
Overall, a small gig with big expectations; unfortunately the much-anticipated musical spectacle failed to materialise, leaving me weary and ready for home.
Despite Malo’s musical experience and expertise he struggled to entertain on a disappointing night. If what you were after was a glimpse of Malo’s true genius you would have been seriously underwhelmed.
When I read this I thought he hadn't even went to see it; I was doing him a disservice there, but no when I say that his review bore no resemblance to the concert that my wife and sat through. That was the fourth time we'd seen him (with The Mavericks at the Arena, at Sunderland Empire and the old Tyne Theatre) and I must admit he was good, but could not use his voice to full power in such an intimate setting as The Sage. Maybe why no big band? The only comment David Gillon got correct was his praise of the the trumpet and bass players; but I also thought he would of least named them!
I was at the Sage to watch Raul Malo and can't believe it was the same concert that David Gillon attended. Before Raul started I was disappointed to see little equipment on stage, expecting a full backing band and a concert on a par with the last time I saw him in Newcastle (Opera House). He came on stage with just two other musicians, a trumpet player and bassist, which is a strange combination to say the least. It worked. Malo's voice was truly awesome all night, his rhythm guitar playing was superb, his two colleagues were top notch, especially the multi-talanted trumpet player. I came away feeling very privileged to have watched such an intimate show where the talant of the man and his backing musicians were laid bare for all to see, absolutely no gimmicks or effects, just supreme talent. There are VERY few entertainers who could come close to what Raul Malo accomplished this week at the Sage. By the end of the show the audience were truly engaged, ending the night with what I considered to be a heartfelt and deserved standing ovation. Does this sound like the concert described by David Gillon?
Rated: 1 / 5
David Gillon had never even heard of Raul Malo or the Mavericks, and had no idea of his style of music. I know I was sat beside him and he asked if I'd seen him before, who he was and his type of music. Surely as part of his job he should have done some reasearch prior to the event so he knew what he was getting into. As for the performance there were only 2 people who did not enjoy the show, him and the girl with him, his blatent dislike was evident in his behaviour after a few songs, the rest of the audience, as far as I could see totally enjoyed it. As for the whining, these were songs sung in the Cuban language, this obviously went over Mr. Gillons head, as to the audience reaction who, in the main, were quite a few years older than him. The people who paid to see Raul wer people who like him and his singing. Sending Mr. Gillon for this review, was like sending my Mother who is in her 70's to review Eminem. It was a thouroughly enjoyable show with songs that could be understood (apart from the Cuban songs obviously, he has a fine, clear good singing voice, anyway, all the audience except Mr Gillon and his friend.
Posted by: susan crathorne