Presumably the mention of Katrina and the Waves, Lulu or Bucks Fizz will have a reader questioning why they’re making an appearance in a review about a cappella electro singing. The truth is, the UK’s never been too good at Eurovision. Of course, we’ve won with those acts once or twice, but the fear of ‘nil points’ is one that strikes every aficionado of the competition with dread.
Fork are not Bucks Fizz. They’re not Katrina and the Waves. They’re certainly not Lulu. But there is something strikingly Eurovision about the Finnish foursome, clad in metal and leather and screaming out ‘HELLO, EDINBURGH!’ at the start of their set, awkwardly flirting just like any Eurovision presenter worth their salt. That element never fades, but, thank the European Broadcasting Union gods, they’re an awful lot better.
Everything, Fork claim, is produced live. Through the magic of technology, loop effects are combined with reverbs, echos and god knows what else to create an aural feast like nothing you’ve ever quite experienced before - that much I can promise. If the thought of an a cappella group fills you with frightening images of a small army of first year Oxbridge students, ‘ba-ba-ba’ and ‘ding-ding-ding’-ing their way through this week’s Top 10 then you have little to worry about. Fork couldn’t be more different.
For one thing, they’re not 19. They are almost 100% pitch perfect, with the exception of one number, during which it was difficult to tell whether there was a fault with the in-ears as opposed to the soloist’s inability to sing in the same key as her friends. The beatboxing is entirely flawless, and far beyond anything any spotty teenager could produce and though the setlist might leave something to be desired, it’s difficult not to grin your way through this show.
Admittedly, it often feels like these singers aren’t trained (the actual solo lines not being as strong as their backings) and quite often they seem lacking in vocal technique, but the strengths of this troupe far outweigh its weaknesses. Despite some rather awkward talking sections between songs, it’s impossible not to enjoy Fork’s electro vocal circus. It’s difficult, in fact, not to sit in awe of the sounds they make, or the astounding skill of their technicians to live-mix the music. Fork is one Fringe experience that everyone should have.
