Marc Almond: 'In Bluegate Fields'

Opening with an unnervingly gothic poem, Marc Almond is welcomed to the stage as ‘The Only Voice’, a title that for many of his ardent fans is certainly true. Almond is the kind of cult performer who has collected a strong fan base over his career that are loyal to his music through popularity and obscurity.

Having gone through a 20-year period in the wilderness, this CD/DVD set may be vindication for many that Almond’s oddball talent has been overlooked for too long. Quirky and brimming with vaudeville, the feel of the performance is larger than life cabaret and Almond excels on the stage of the Victorian style Wilton Music Hall in London.

Entering the stage to the sombre ‘Safe Inside The Day’, it is a beautiful beginning to a show that demonstrates another side to one of the 80s' one trick ponies. Slogging through an impressive twenty-six tracks, he is able to demonstrate that, beyond being remembered as a floating head in the video for ‘Tainted Love’, he has a wider range as a singer and is still able to do justice to his own work, as well as a range of unusual covers.

His choice here is superb, with an excellent rendition of the Richard Thompson folk hit ‘The Great Valerio’ that buzzes with the original's power and Charles Aznobour’s ‘Yesterday When I Was Young’, a theme that Almond revisits throughout.

From his own work he performs ‘Bluegate Fields’, which he dedicates to Oscar Wilde and has written specifically for this event. The track is dreamy, complete with strings and piano; a style which suits his overblown dramatics that at times seem too ridiculous even for this type of show. ‘Saint Judy’ is taken from his time with the ill fated Marc And The Mambas and is well received by all in attendance, despite no doubt leaving many at home perplexed.

Some choices fail to tread the line between kitsch and overly camp, amongst the culprits are both ‘Lonely Go-Go Dancer’ and ‘Cosmic Boxer’, which are much more ridiculous than their sublime intentions. This is the risk for a performance of this nature, as some may see the ghoulish ideas behind the show as pure pantomime.

There are some interesting touches in post-production by giving the film a black and white vintage feel at times, but this is spoiled by jaunty angles and some shaky camera work that makes it appear low quality.

Almond's banter with the crowd proves he is certainly a professional able to work the room better than many current live acts, but this unfortunately may not save him from the fate of reality TV, which is surely looming for the out of favour star.

Released on DVD on 27th October 2008 by Network.

Written by Carl Williams.