‘Reviving the legend nicely’
I normally avoid tribute acts, grouping them in the same class as magic shows and children’s theatre. Fine for some, but simply not for me.
Amy Winehouse, however, is very much a slice of moi, and the 14th of September is a pretty big date in her legacy-what would have been her 42nd birthday. So, it felt right, if not required, for me to trot my Cuban heels down to Crazy Coqs for an evening of all things Amy via Anna Aarons.
Aarons is a singer-songwriter in her own right, and her love for Amy is palpable throughout. As they say, imitation is the highest form of flattery. Looking the part in a leopard-print figure-hugging dress, winged eyeliner, red nails and lips, she has been performing this show for nine years with almost the same band.
The expected classics are spun out with knowing, half-closed eyes: You Know I’m No Good, Back to Black, Wake Up Alone, Tears Dry on Their Own and Love Is a Losing Game. Her imitation is impressive-with curling lip, chopping hand flutters and sassy head-and-jaw movements, it’s a little uncanny and very effective.
I found her renditions from Amy’s first album Frank more enjoyable; the softer R&B-inflected grooves fit better with Aarons’ own vocal style. Stronger Than Me and Take the Box are elevated to great worth by her dedicated delivery. Equally, her own songs stand out among the Winehouse fever as more genuine (unsurprisingly).
Like a true stan, she unearths treasures from the Lioness album that the casual fan might not know, weaving in Amy’s own influences: a Lauryn Hill mash-up is buoyant, while nods to George Gershwin, Carole King and Brian May vary the obsessive set list, though some prove a vocal challenge. Nerves do trip our star a couple of times, but for a subject so close to the heart, it’s expected.
Mehmet Raif on bass, Gareth Buckland on keys, Mirco Altenbach on sax, Will Jackson on drums and Louise Golbey on backing vocals round out the evening with professionalism and some sparky solos apiece. Titbits woven between the songs revive the legend nicely, though we sometimes tip into mawkishness-particularly when the audience is pulled along to sing happy birthday to the late star. Aarons presents as herself, not an impersonator (as clearly stated in the blurb), but the line is blurred throughout. She gets everyone on their feet for Valerie (impressive for a Sunday matinee crowd) and totters around the space with pure glee shining from her eyes.
What we leave with is a renewed love for an artist taken far too soon — surely Aarons’ aim all along.