The Motown Story featuring Adelaide’s Own Motown Connection @ Governor Hindmarsh Hotel – Adelaide Fringe Review

The Gov, Fri 11 Mar It is fantastic to hear live music in Adelaide played by Adelaide musicians and sung by Adelaide singers on a great night of Motown hits with the 11-piece band of drums, bass, guitar and keyboards accompanied by a five-piece horn section that are musically tight and clearly well-rehearsed, all backing and the two male and two female vocalists sharing the singing and the spotlight. They all did a fantastic job of settling into the groove that was Motown. With each vocalist taking their turn they showed us why they were there. Especially warming up in the second act where most people lost inhibitions and joined each other on the dance floor. With the truly authentic sounds of the Fender Rhodes piano and the live brass this group took us on a musical journey through Detroit city with just a few detours along the way. Most of the songs performed tonight were straight out of the stable of ‘Hitsville USA’ from groups like The Supremes and The Temptations and performers like Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye… but there were few sneaky non-Motown songs slipped in for good measure. Highlights of the night were songs like Heard It Through The Grapevine, Superstitious and Proud Mary. Natural Woman, while being one of those sneaky detours, was also a crowd favourite, as this and a couple of other songs were originally performed by Aretha Franklin, who some believe SHOULD have been part of Motown. We will just let that one go through to the keeper. With over two hours of music to entertain you, it makes for a great night out and a great band to listen to. Charissa McCluskey-Garcia