During the past month, a lot of us have seen a group of young men in their early 20s wandering down Edinburgh’s cobbled streets, dressed in the same way — in checked, smart blue blazers. Those ‘blue blazer boys’ have a more official name – Out of the Blue. All the way from the University of Oxford, these young musicians aim to prove that not only do they thrive in academics, but also in a cappella.
The performance contains around 12 individual music pieces, ranging from contemporary pop to a mash-up of Disney theme tunes. I am certain that everyone in the room could find at least one song that suits their music taste. The performance has a broad appeal to all audience groups — a perfect program strategy at the Fringe.
If I could only use one phrase to describe the showcase, it would be ‘a gradual blossoming.’ The performers clearly took some time and effort to get a feel for the energy on stage, and from the audience. During the first two songs, it is fairly obvious that the team is going through a break-in phase — the background beats are too loud compared to the singing, and there is a slight incoherence between singers. Nonetheless, from the third song onwards, the team is ready, adapted, and prepared — each song becomes a better experience than the previous one.
The programming of the individual songs shows the team’s ingenuity. It starts off with the strong, uplifting beats of Raye’s ‘WHERE IS MY HUSBAND,’ a mixture of slow emotional lyrics and fast rhythmic tempos. Finishing with the jocular, whimsical tunes of Baccara’s ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie,’ the team shows off their amazing vocal skills. Namely, Jack Prior — the lead vocalist for Charlie Puth’s ‘Attention —’ and Tristan Wood, the lead vocalist for Bon Jovi’s ‘You Give Love A Bad Name.’ Their singing is impeccable, moving, and certainly commands the room.
That being said, the entries of this showcase feel inconsistent in terms of quality. Some pieces are clearly more thoroughly rehearsed, while others seem to lack confidence. Some of the pieces are very ambitiously adapted, but the team needs more time to develop their skills in order to match the vision. Finally — whether intentional or not — most entries are performed in one style, which works well in some but not as well in others.
Overall, I am very pleased to see Out of the Blue returning to this year’s Fringe. There is room for improvement, but with such passion and enthusiasm, it would not be out of the blue for them to go far.
Out of the Blue has finished its Fringe run.
Image by Out of the Blue, provided to The Student for press use.
