The Jam Tarts are celebrating their tenth anniversary. So exuberant and joyful were the 55 faces of the predominantly orange-clad singers, they could easily have been mistaken for Dutch football fans watching Holland win the World Cup.
The evening of mass harmony singing by the Brighton-based choral collective lifted the spirits and celebrated life. Other than the occasional momentary lone voice there were no soloists and no egos on display.
The vocal arrangements of material by Nick Cave, Joy Division, The Staves and other such artists were tastefully supplemented by some fine piano plus the occasional use of cello, trumpet and flugel horn.
Li Mills, the dynamo behind The Jam Tarts, not only linked the pieces with style, she also provided a hypnotic dancing focus with her animated conducting.
When 55 people sing with such passion, the effect is very moving. The Cure’s A Forest, Tom Waits’ Telephone Call From Istanbul, Iggy Pop’s The Passenger – the sold-out crowd found it difficult not to sing along.
Outside of their normal indie remit, Jimmy Webb’s Witchita Lineman showed that The Jam Tarts can turn their voices to any lyric and open up its heart. Brighton should embrace these Tarts, they are one of the city’s hidden treasures.
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