Live Review from Underground 47:
P.M. Creative began a rousing Underground in a distinctly understated way. The band shuffled onto the stage, amiably strummed through some lilting Housemartins-esque tunes backed by two acoustic guitars, bass and tambourine. Assured songwriting and light arrangements soon got the audience nodding along.
Dual boy-girl vocalists promised a little variety, but that was undermined by having the first two songs sung by Bungi and the second two by Christie, rather than mixing it up a little. Were they auditioning? Bungi’s style was a little karaoke-like for my taste, but well suited to songs seemingly constructed to evoke couples strolling hand-in-hand through golden fields. Or something.
Christie’s delivery had a little more edge, taking the band’s sound towards Faye Wong in the late 90s, circa Di Dar (admittedly, your reviewer’s only reference point in local pop music).
What was missing from the set was any real sense of performance. Why just a tambourine? Having no drummer isn’t a crime, but would it kill them to try some bongos? A little vigour or variation in the strumming of those guitars? How about some harmonies? Surely a waste of two accomplished and seemingly complementary voices.
Ultimately while obviously clever and accessible, PM Creative let themselves down by lack of visible commitment. Must try harder.
Paul M.
