Guitar Multiverse: Compositions And Guitars In The Hands Of Declan Zapala at Nexus – Adelaide Fringe Review

Nexus, Fri 25 Feb Having a son that plays the classical guitar, I thought Guitar Multiverse would be an interesting show for him. Declan Zapala is no doubt a talented guitarist but that is really where the fun ends with this show. Being the first performance of his season there are often, understandably, a few issues with sound or otherwise, as Declan himself alluded to. This show, however, went from having a reasonable volume to sounding more like a rock concert, which left both me and my son with fingers in our ears. I hadn’t brought ear plugs as I hadn’t guessed that an intimate concert like this one would be so loud. Volume complaints aside, Declan is an amiable fellow who plays some of his own lovely compositions alongside other pieces for classical guitar, including an adapted piece by Bach. He uses his guitars for percussion elements, which is interesting but not exciting enough to build a lauded show around. Small talk is sweet and quietly funny but that also made us feel more like we were just sitting at a friend’s place listening to him warming up for bigger and better things. My son was disappointed and I felt a bit cheated, wondering what last year’s positive reviewers saw that we missed. This is a show for guitar enthusiasts only. Anna Solding Guitar Multiverse continues at Nexus, at various times, until Sat 5 Mar. Book at FringeTIX on 1300 621 255 or adelaidefringe.com.au. Click HERE to purchase your tickets.