Peter Straker’s arrived in Edinburgh ladies and gentlemen. Prepare to be
entertained, seduced and electrified by an artist whose career has spanned over
fifty years. Straker shot to fame after his performance in the original
production of
Straker oozes style, echoing greats like Tom Jones, Freddie Mercury and even Jagger and Bowie.
Straker enters the stage in style, coming through the audience and singing his heart out. His fantastic rendition of Sympathy for the Devil sets the tone for the evening. It’s a fun, powerful and theatrical version accompanied brilliantly by the band. When the song reaches its climax, and Straker asks one last time, ‘What’s my name?’ the band whisper ‘Straker’ and the lights flicker. The theatrical antics continue with a powerhouse performance of I Put a Spell on You that echoes Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ original studio recording and is sung intimately, focused on one person Straker picks out in the audience. Later he conducts the audience in a joint rendition of the (Day-o) Banana Boat Song, gives out chocolates and even does a little bit of magic. Straker also performs some of his own songs and of course Queen’s ‘It’s a kind of Magic’. The five piece band are also fantastic, accompanying Straker with panache and a little theatrical flair of their own.
Straker oozes style, echoing greats like Tom Jones, Freddie Mercury and even Jagger and Bowie. He runs round the stage, gyrates his hips, jumps around and sings in a beautiful tenor tone. The theatricality of the night is enhanced greatly by the fantastic lighting design as well as Straker’s unique little touches to proceedings. He engages with almost everyone in the audience making the performance feel intimate and even a little special. Or maybe we should say, magical.
