OTR Review: A Cappella

The Bubble’s fierce A Cappella scene once again burst into life on Tuesday night with the advent of On the Rocks Festival’s A Cappella concert in Trinity Church. Following the […]


The Bubble’s fierce A Cappella scene once again burst into life on Tuesday night with the advent of On the Rocks Festival’s A Cappella concert in Trinity Church. Following the increasingly common trend for a cappella events in St Andrews, the auditorium was packed to capacity with students and town-folk alike.

The Accidentals opened the show with a very energetic set, including their complex and impressive mashup that they debuted a month ago at the Voice Festival UK Regional Competition. The Accidentals always seem to be working on innovative arrangements, especially with regards to percussion – sassy, crazy, pure fun.

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Next up were the Vocal Bandits – St Andrews’ mixed un-auditioned group. It was great to hear the result of their work so far this semester, as they decided not to compete in the Voice Festival earlier this year. The group performed several memorable songs, including Suddenly I See by KT Tunstall. This was a great success for them, showcasing new levels of musicality for the flourishing group.

The Alleycats put on a great show, complete with sassy dance moves. The energy on-stage was buzzing, and they performed a punchy set that was very well received. As usual, Ayanna Coleman’s heart-felt performance in Dancing on My Own was a highlight of their show. Clad in white kicks, the group delivered four exciting songs with first-rate musicality.

Sporting turquoise feather earrings, the Hummingbirds looked lovely, and sounded even better. If you missed it, then you’re out of luck, because this was definitely the best the female group has sounded so far this year. They should be very proud of their blend, and also of their soloists. You are left wondering if there’s a ‘pitch-perfect’-eqsue rivalry between the two female groups. The Hummingbirds certainly raised their personal bar on Tuesday.

The Other Guys really played to their excellent choral/barbershop sound. They put on a great performance in each song, opening with the seemingly floating Mark Greggory’s head poking between the stage curtains. All of their songs had the cheeky, fun vibe that we have come to expect from the Other Guys, as well as a solid blend. They performed one of their original songs, I Only Bought You Flowers Because I Love You So, which I must say translated very favourably into live performance.

All in all the evening was a melodious success and if you missed it this time be on the lookout for the next A Cappella showdown – it’ll be well worth the wait.

 

Images courtesy of Lightbox Creative. ©Renée Horster