Jamie MacDowell & Tom Thum: Two Peas In A Different Pod At The Pleasure Garden – Perth Fringe World Review

Teatro 2 – The Pleasure Garden, Perth Fringe World, Fri 29 Jan It seems an unlikely pairing of music styles; one a poetic folk bluesy, acoustic guitar playing singer songwriter, the other a world class heavy hitting beat boxer. On their own, Jamie transports you to a bonfire gathering at the beach or a relaxed Sunday session at your local. Tom to an underground rave in Berlin or a Boiler Room set in London. Together... it just works... Like fantastic works! It mesmerises my ears. When I close my eyes I hear a full orchestra or jazz band or deep drum ‘n’ bass and I am serenaded by Jamie’s melodic lyrics. I open my eyes I see two good looking guys and a guitar. Either way, it’s a win! Not only in their musical pairing does their fusion work but so does the way they play off each other on stage. Charming, witty and funny dialogue, you feel like they are letting you in on their inside joke. Tom and Jamie played a few songs from previous albums but the highlight was to hear them showcase their latest work from their new EP The Some Of It, like Imperial, The Sum Of It and the beautiful Feet To Floor. They do explain a little about the technology they use to layer and sample their music but it never overshadows the main event... the voice, lyrics, harmony and synchronicity. Jamie and Tom return to the Australian festival circuit where they met, after sell-out seasons at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and tours of Europe, South Africa and the UK. They first performed together as part of the circus-sensation Tom Tom Crew - Jamie as an acrobat; Tom as beatboxer, graffiti artist and breakdancer – the two formed a musical friendship like no other and, luckily for us, they've never looked back. Denise Brazil Image courtesy of Chelone Wolf