Dublin Red Box 1997

Visceral pop songs dripping with melody, sung with gusto by a silver-suited flamboyant fop and faultlessly played by a ten-piece band that include a string and a horn section . . . this show had everything, except an audience.

An enforced change of venue was one of the reasons why My Life Story ended up playing to fewer than a hundred people. But all credit to them, they didn't let box-office indifference prevent them from giving a masterclass on the dynamics of lush, melodramatic orchestral pop.

Taking their cue from past masters such as ABC and Marc Almond, with whom they have recently collaborated, My Life Story are here to sweep you off your feet and transport you through a thick, romantic mist to an altogether more beguiling place.

From the opening song, Suited & Booted, singer Jake Shillingford commanded the musician-filled stage with the professionalism one might expect to see in a cabaret in Berlin or Las Vegas, even finding time for a costume change midway through.

The short set mainly showcased songs from their second album, The Golden Mile, due for release in March, and their string-bathed hooks and lovelorn lyrics were never more artfully combined than on Sparkle and the simply wonderful 12 Reasons Why I Love Her, which closed the show.

reproduced without permission from
The Times.

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