Presented by Monty Cotton
Reviewed 20th February 2017
Monty Cotton is Johnny Cash down to a tee: his decadent, resonant vocals were impressive, and his appearance, with a dark suit and his slicked, black hair was uncanny.
The venue, The Henry Austin, was cosy to say the least: but the intimacy was perfectly suited to the show’s format. Greeting the audience with Cash’s signature ‘Hello… I’m Johnny Cash’, the audience were engaged from the get-go: clapping and toe tapping from the beginning of the show until its ending, 60 minutes later. Whilst this permeating energy was partly due to Cotton’s radiating charm, it was also down to the songs Cotton played. Audience favourites included: Folsom Prison Blues, Get Rhythm, Hurt, I Walk The Line and Ring Of Fire. Other popular songs were ‘A Boy Named Sue’ where Cotton playfully joked around with the audience, and ‘Jackson’ when an audience member was called up on stage to sing the duet with him, just as Cash did with his wife, June Carter.
Perhaps the most inventive and entertaining part of the show was a section named ‘Cash Converted’, where Cotton asked the audience to think about the types of songs Cash would cover if he were still alive today. Taking requests from an eager audience, Cotton was able to improvise whatever the people threw at him, demonstrating his extreme talent and dedication to his unique craft. At this show, we were graced with covers of Ed Sheeran, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Beyonce, and even the Pussy Cat Dolls: all in the style of the man himself. This was not only amusing for the elder demographic in the audience, but presented Cash’s iconic sound to a younger generation.
A Boy Named Cash was a one man show, and unlike many Cash shows, Cotton had no band to accompany him. Consequently, Cotton had to be creative… and creative he was! Using a loop pedal, he was able to record and save guitar parts, so that layers could be added to his sound. Cotton used this tool to cleverly demonstrate how Cash recorded his songs.
Monty Cotton was born to entertain. Whether you’re a Cash fan, or a Cash newbie, you will love A Boy Named Cash.
Reviewed by Ben Francis
Rating out of 5: 4
Venue: The Henry Austin
Season: February 20th – Februayr 22nd
Duration: 60 minutes
Tickets: $25
Bookings: https://www.adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/a-boy-named-cash
https://www.adelaidefringe.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/ABoyNamedCash
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFHFGiiVkFKFAEFxfg7_ag3IaimmXhbfN
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