Bec Laughton and her highly talented band deserve a much larger audience than those who went to the Workers Club on Sunday. Despite the inviting, candlelit atmosphere of the chipboard-walled room, the venue fails to conjure what should be many more numbers attending the gig.
Mark Lowndes, who eschews music in favour of the spoken word, opens the evening. It works, and provides the perfect segue for Saritah.
The singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist combines easy listening music with a tropical beat, resulting in a funk-inspired, sing-a-long reggae. ‘These Days’ in particular garners a great audience response, allowing her to showcase her impressive, strong vocal range.
It is around 9.30pm when Laughton and her band finally take the stage. They open with ‘Holy Love’, one of her most fun and funky songs.
Laughton is a true performer; her voice is commanding and versatile. Engaging with the audience, she possesses huge confidence without a hint of egotism or arrogance. Despite the poor turnout, Laughton & Co. give it their all, encouraging the small, yet dedicated, audience members to dance and sing along to their tunes.
Although they tend to master a bluesy jazz with reggae undertones, refusing to limit themselves to one genre. Laughton’s vocals switch between quasi-a cappella to scatting to screamo to a sweet serenade, while the band seamlessly adapts to the different styles.
One of their songs even incorporates a ukulele with the odd bit of hard rock. These talented musicians not only produce a clean, solid sound but also play with a true fervor and passion.
A delightful homage to 90s pop involves Laughton’s original song incorporating the Captain Planet theme, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It”, “CoCo Jambo”, and “Happy Days”. It’s hard not to be charmed by their genuine and energetic performance.
Laughton and her band finished with one final odd number, “Loop De Loop”, a strange combination of 50s swing dance and pop funk.
Bec Laughton is a delightful performer, genuine in confidence and engaging for the audience. It’s a shame that more people did not show up to her show on Sunday. Her band’s multi-genred, multi-talented innovation is deserving of a far greater audience.
