Review: Brian May and Kerry Ellis, Born Free Tour, Birmingham Town Hall
Take a 60-something rock star and the best musical theatre performer of a generation, mix with some fabulous tunes and chuck it all together in a beautiful venue with a full house crowd – the recipe for a perfect night out.
Brian May is one of the best guitarists out there with a huge cannon of his own work to dip into. Kerry Ellis has probably the best voice to come out of the West End in the last 20 years and she can, literally, sing anything – beautifully.
In this show there is nothing elaborate about the stripped-back songs, low tech staging and simple production – but the overall effect is all the more powerful for its simplicity.
There's nothing predictable either. In a set covering everything from The Beatles to Barbra Streisand via Bob Dylan, the song choices and arrangements constantly challenged expectations.
I never thought hillbilly and Tie Your Mother Down could appear in the same sentence but you know what? It worked. And choosing I'm Not That Girl instead of Defying Gravity from Kerry's Wicked days was genius.
The tour has been recorded for a new album, Acoustic by Candlelight, but as this was Birmingham it was acoustic by slightly naff electric candle effect lights – the city council doesn't allow candles in its fabulously restored historic town hall.
But although it says acoustic, this is Brian May – so the Red Special was brought out for the signature solo, plus a few more tracks. Is this the only guitar i that gets its own round of applause?
The highlight for me was No-One But You, the song the three surviving members of Queen wrote in tribute to Freddie Mercury and which Kerry has made her own since she first sang it at the Dominion Theatre in We Will Rock You.
The show is part of the Born Free tour which is raising awareness and cash for the foundation working to save Africa's lions. Brian also loses no opportunity to hammer home his cause of the moment, which is to oppose the badger cull.
Ann Clarkson
