Cover band deploys classics to garner audience support
Ducky’s Pub was crowded on Saturday night with locals anticipating some good tunes from Murray and the Middle Class, and overall, they got what they came for. As a fundraising event for the York Street Children’s Centre, the band did a great job at exciting the audience and bringing attention to a good cause; however, the show had a few minor flaws that left something to be desired.
Both the Murray and the Middle Class and the opening band, The Patio Boys, played a selection of rock ‘n’ roll tunes, including hits by Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Rolling Stones and Lenny Kravitz. They chose popular, familiar songs to cover, many of which were nostalgic to those who grew up on classic rock.
A huge factor in the overall enjoyment of the show was the familiarity of the chosen songs. The performance prompted the audience to sing and dance along, creating a fun and welcoming atmosphere.
I found, however, that Murray and the Middle Class relied on the familiarity of the set to keep the audience’s attention. When a well-known song was played, the audience was the most active and engaged; when the songs were less popular, some people would go off and chat with their friends or step outside for a smoke. The performance elicited a constant level of energy among the devoted fans, but some people, myself included, lost interest in the band once faced with an unfamiliar song.
As for the covers themselves, they were pleasant, easy to listen to, and reminiscent of the classic rock sound that the band was trying to replicate. However, I felt that they were somewhat lacking in originality, or a unique element that would elevate the covers from good to great.
There was also a recurring sound-quality issue throughout the evening. At times, the main vocals were just too loud, drowning out the other vocals and instrumentals. Other times, the sound was just a little bit muffled. This wasn’t the case for every song, but when it occurred, it was fairly noticeable.
At the end of the day, the audience had fun and donations went to a good cause, so the show was an overall success. The band had great energy, which was shared with the audience through familiar and catchy tunes. I just wish that there had been a bit more flair – something to bring the performance to the next level.
