Sparrows Of Kabul: Musical Lessons From Afghanistan ~ Adelaide Fringe 2023 Review

[MUSIC ~ SA/ACT] Star Theatre Two – Star Theatres, Sun 19th Feb. Sparrows Of Kabul is a performance by renowned singer songwriter Fred Smith with a band (in Adelaide the band features the ethereal vocals of Jen Lush, Paul Angas on drums & keyboards, Stevie Pedersen on guitar, Mark Seddon on bass, Heather Lander on cello) of songs about the experiences of people caught up in the war in Afghanistan. Fred and band stand largely to the side of the stage to allow the audience to watch photo and video images on a large screen while Fred tells stories, reads poems, and sings his songs. Fred Smith takes particular care to tell the story of Afghanistan from many angles. His day job was working as a diplomat for the Australian government in Afghanistan, so he knows a lot about the inner workings of officialdom. His job involved developing relationships with Afghani officials and civilians, so he was able to learn and appreciate much about Afghani culture and its people. He knows the efforts of people who were serving in Afghanistan, and the stories behind many of the deaths that occurred. He reminds us of the impacts on loved ones and friends at home, some of whom he has had contact with. I was aware of Fred Smith’s previous songs about Afghanistan from his Dust Of Uruzgan album. If the words on this album cannot hope to give a total sensation of the dust, the visual images in this show certainly do. What I was less aware of was that Fred returned in time to witness the fall of Kabul, to help staff and others to get out. Some of the videos of people caught up at Kabul International Airport were taken on his own iPhone. As a songwriter Fred was uniquely placed to articulate in song what he witnessed. Fred’s other non-Afghanistan songwriting reveals that he is blessed (or cursed) with a wickedly witty turn of phrase, and it might be feared that there is no call for this in relating this harrowing tale of the war. Never fear, even war brings comical opportunities, and a straight-faced performance of Niet Swaffelen op de Dixie, about an alleged regrettable habit of the Dutch troops, brings a moment of light relief and has us rolling in the aisles with laughter. Fred Smith has taken on a mighty workload taking his story far and wide around Australia. His stated purpose is to help as many people as possible understand what everyone involved went through, so that people who served in Afghanistan in whatever capacity are not met with the same lack of understanding as those who served in previous wars such as Vietnam. For this reason alone, Sparrows of Kabul is a show worth seeing, a song cycle worth hearing. 5 stars Adrian Miller #TheClothesline #ADLFringe