Insane In London
Insane In London
Whimsical Tricycle
The Butterfly Club
26 June 2008
Consisting of husband and wife team Michelle Wilson and Kieren Butler, Whimsical Tricycle bring a mix of music, personal insight and comedy to the stage in Insane in London. A series of songs written by Kieren, the show blends their various talents in songwriting, singing, violin and guitar.
From the opening moment of the show, it is clear that a night of polished, detached professionalism is not going to ensue. Kieren and Michelle are both highly charismatic, emotionally engaged with their music and with their audience, and so the show becomes far less a staged concert and more a personal recital, as if in someone’s front room. Their chemistry is blindingly obvious, and the secret smiles shared on stage are a blatant sign of two people committed to working and spending their lives together.
The personal, unplugged format works well with the pair, with each song given a context in their lives, loves and misadventures, as jokes about their life together (and apart) abound. Often, conversation jets off tangentially, with stories of Heathrow detention centres and family crises entering the mix.
As one of Whimsical Tricycle’s first acoustic performances, this staging of Insane in London provides some interesting challenges, most notably the difference in balance between Kieren’s voice and Michelle’s violin. The violin often becomes another voice in the mix, not relegated to an accompaniment role, and can overpower Kieren’s lyrical and melodic talent. That said, Muddle In A Maze and Glory and Love (txt msg song) contain two of the most beautiful pieces of countermelodic writing that I have heard in a live concert, with violin and voice taking in turns to shine and show off.
With good music, good company and good chemistry, Insane In London is almost a recipe for a good night.