In what could be crowned the most uplifting show of the Fringe, The House of Life aka Ben Welch and Laurence Cole from Sheep Soup combine preaching, live music, comedy and all round good vibes in this spectacle-come-religious experience.
You are guaranteed to walk away from The House of Life with a spring in your step
The show itself is in a category of its own. Welch announces that the audience are going to learn how to find true happiness in an all singing, all grooving hour of self expression, love and harmony. Sheep Soup create soundbites and beats with their loop machine live on stage that are both hilarious and ridiculously catchy. The pair take recordings of the audience’s own stories of love and anger, turning them into sick beats that you want to add to your hype playlist.
The dynamic between the pair is beautiful to watch. Welch and Cole create a fresh twist on the traditional sidekick character by emulating the relationship between pastors and assistants in modern Christian Churches. Their voices blend seamlessly, spontaneously harmonising as Welch riffs in between his parodies of self-help motivational speakers. They are completely at home on stage, creating a performance that is incredibly polished, which is an amazing feat considering the improvisational quality to the show. In terms of musical style, The House of Life sound echoes that of Foals or Parcels, but has a soulful edge that invokes gospel-energy. It would be a crime not to mention Welch’s incredible vocal talent, with a voice that is oh so silky and smooth. Cole’s honeyed falsetto balances perfectly with him, creating beautiful melodies.
More than just one-off mixed songs and dance-tunes, The House of Life celebrates the good in people and purges our negative energy. You walk in, expecting a parody of a religious service, but instead are struck by Welch and Cole’s earnestness that sneaks in with messages of encouragement, imploring us to work build communities and give love to strangers. If you need a pick-me-up, you are guaranteed to walk away from The House of Life with a spring in your step.