01/05/06
As we left the Albert Hall, a companion turned to me and wearily insisted that he'd need to "lay off the Paul Anka" for a few weeks. This 'Anka-fatigue' was symptomatic of witnessing a performance that was drenched in old-fashioned glitz, glamour and borderline-kitsch extravagance.
For the more cynical amongst us, the Paul Anka "experience" would be the stuff of nightmares: the posturing, the strutting, the show-biz name-dropping and the regular servings of emotional bombast were incessant and all-consuming. However, Anka's slick, skilful performance coupled with his vocal excellence (while lacking any of the subtlety or nuance of Sinatra, for example) made this an extremely entertaining and rewarding evening. At least, that is, for those who were willing to be transported to fabulous Las Vegas for a couple of hours...
Accompanied by an excellent band (including a ten-piece brass section), Anka's impressive song-writing skills were in evidence throughout the lengthy show in faithful renditions of hits including Diana and Put Your Head on My Shoulder. Songs penned for other singers included Buddy Holly's It Doesn't Matter Any More and Tom Jones' She's A Lady.
As the man who furnished Claude Francois' Comme d'Habitude with English lyrics, Paul Anka is always eager to remind the public that he "wrote" My Way for Frank Sinatra. His shows are the perfect opportunity for him to demonstrate this assertion and a closing performance of the song was as explosive and uncomfortably extended as one might have expected. At one point, Sinatra's ethereal, recorded voice joined in the fun, Anka unctuously reaffirming each line before reclaiming control and elongating the finale for a seemingly interminable period.
He paid tribute to old friend Bobby Darin with an expert run-through of Mack the Knife (which put recent covers by Robbie Williams et al to shame), while an oddly affecting duet with Sammy Davis Jr was possible thanks to a large projection screen. Also included were various numbers from his recent, hugely successful Rock Swings album - covers of pop hits from the '80s and '90s refashioned in a swingin' big band style. These included innovative new arrangements of Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit and Van Halen's Jump. However, while the up-tempo selections from this album were extremely enjoyable and performed with aplomb, the slower tracks (though well-sung) were sometimes less convincing.
As perhaps the last of of the original Vegas/Rat Pack-affiliated performers, Anka is still doing the tradition proud. His singing is as good as ever and his showmanship and energy are astonishing. While the glamorous excess and swaggering self-glorification that makes up so much of the stage show might exhaust some, it is an essential component in Paul Anka's role as an 'old-school' entertainer and as such is entirely appropriate and enjoyable when accepted on its own terms. Even if one requires a week off work to recuperate...