A Night at the Movies, Swing Unlimited, Regent Centre, Christchurch

An evening in the company of the big band Swing Unlimited was an uplifting experience for visitors to the Regent Centre.

There was an atmosphere of unapologetic sophistication, easily summed up by tuxedos, chic dresses and the elegance of the venue. But the performance was not solemn or shy, it never grew into a jewel and never lost its sense of stupid humor. It is this approach, full of not only musical virtuosity, but also a joie de vivre, that has allowed Swing Unlimited to gain a solid fan base in the region, as evidenced by the large audiences.

Musical director James Stead, who had a hand in the selection of classic film themes, was a keen storyteller and film soundtrack historian. There was clearly an ingrained attachment to the book, the look and, in vocal breaks that included Sinatra standards (well, you can hardly be a swing band and not go there), the lyrics of classical music scores. Despite the affection bordering on reverence, several of the arrangements were the band’s own creations, providing individual examples of silver screen charm.

So, aside from staples like Jaws, Star Wars and a mix of Bond themes, James had no shame in admitting that they found weaker cinematic connections for some parts of the repertoire because they liked the song in question. ELO’s Mr Blue Sky’s lush horn throws and call-and-response set the stage, showcasing their natural symphonic quirkiness and proving themselves fully worthy of shoehorn status. Visually, the performance was no less spectacular; liquid patches of silver and gold brass twitch and waver across the shifting neon canvas like dueling cavaliers. The mock confrontation between rival trombonists was legitimately titillating, with the instrument being used to maximum effect for comic absurdity (and, it must be said, fart sounds).

The set was carefully choreographed and includes a Disney and John Williams medley (if you think you don’t know any John Williams scores, you really do). It would be bordering on remiss not to include a couple of excerpts from The Blues Brothers here, the latter of which, “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love,” was a blast at the end of the set, accompanied by incredible athletic dance moves from some quite possibly incredibly aged musicians.

All in all, it was a very, very enjoyable and uplifting evening, and let’s face it: when was the last time you went to a concert that wasn’t ruined by people holding a smartphone over their head in front of you? It was also nice to see such a large group (I can’t even imagine the logistics this requires) so deeply engrossed in their love of music and so joyful in sharing it with their audience.

Alex Ogg