Women In Voice is officially 26, and every year we are hungry and left wanting more. I first attended and simultaneously reviewed Women In Voice in 2017, and was delighted to come across a range of female vocalists, and a theatrical show, with a hilarious host that continuously kept it fun and exciting for the audience.
The lineup for this year included Leah Cotterell, Christine Johnston, Anje West and featured emerging artists Hannah Grondin and Adelina Martinez. Host Jan van de Stool kept it upbeat with her wacky humour. Stealing the spotlight from the singers for a little while, Stool performed a song in-character of her own that included pitch problems, berating the band to keep up and a wandering spotlight, but it was all good fun.
The vocal talent was breathtaking, not to mention the creativity of it all. There were musical acts that had themes of dreams (Leah Cotterell), cars (Christine Johnston) with a taste of Brazilian music and Jazz (Adelina Martinez/Anje West) and some powerhouse hits (Hannah Grondin). Every aspect was covered; from multicultural musical flavours to old school hits and something a bit more retro, it made for a night that caught you by surprise.
Enjoying the music is easy to do when the messages, stories and ideas of each performer is delivered to the audience in a unique way. Giving the artist the platform to express her set however she so chooses, whether it be on her thesis on dreaming or her love for cars, made for a more intimate experience.
The band were clearly having fun with it all. You could see Musical Director/Guitarist Jamie Clark, effortlessly go from electric guitar solo to banjo and back. The whole band complimented the performers perfectly, and it was a delight to see the women grooving to the music and soaking up the atmosphere. The band members backed up each singer’s powerful vocals with an equal amount of strength, and transitioned between genres with ease. As well as the show providing a spotlight for each singer’s voice, it also gave the chance for her story to be told, for a change.
Presented by WIV
Thurs 18th October - Sat 20th October
Brisbane Powerhouse
Review: Joanna Letic