Shenzo’s Electric Stunt Orchestra
Strut & Fret Production House @ The Lunar Tent
11:59pm, Thu 28 Feb 2002
Score: 10
Short Review: Flabergastingly Funny
Dressed like vinyl-clad superheroes, the four members of Shenzo’s Electric Stunt Orchestra (drums, bass, guitar, and Shenzo himself on electric violin) enter the Lunar Tent and launch into “Toccata”. Suddenly, reaching the bridge(?) of the piece, Shenzo leaps into the air (aided by some clever rigging) and soars over the audiences heads, still belting out the tunes. As the Stunt Orchestra play, and the guitarists sail into the air also, one cannot help but be both amazed and amused.
An amalgam of the James Bond and Get Smart themes, and Grieg’s “In The Hall of the Mountain King”, have me won over. But the best is yet to come, as the three mobile members of the band creep outside the tent while playing a quiet march and get strapped into the rig that lies between the Spiegel and Lunar Tents. The drummer’s kit gets carried out to the rig also, and soon the whole band is suspended in mid-air as they belt out a rockin’ “Flight of the Bumblebee”. The three stringed members fly about the rig (the drummer, necessarily, stays carefully swing-free, but suspended) – Shenzo nearly cleans himself up on one of the supports. Spectacular.
Sure, while they’re all swinging about, they mightn’t be hitting the right not every time. Sure, the guitarist was often inaudible. But the sight of a band swinging about, high overhead, is one that you’ll never forget.
Update:Strolling thru Rundle Mall on 2nd March I noticed the Stunt Orchestra were using the Gawler Place canopy as rigging for an impromptu show. Great stuff… keep yer eyes open for them.