Seven of the most gifted and passionate
musicians in Durban pay tribute to the Eagles. (Review by Keith Millar)
There is something very special currently
taking place at the Heritage Theatre in Hillcrest. I would strongly recommend
that all lovers of 70’s classic rock music, particularly Eagles fans, make
their way up the hill in the next few weeks and check it out.
They will hear seven of the most gifted and
passionate musicians in Durban paying musical tribute to the brilliant rock
group, the Eagles. The result is a memorable and exciting evening of music
played with enthusiasm and skill. It is a performance that I am sure the Eagles
themselves would approve of.
The Eagles produced seven number one
singles and are one of the best selling bands of all time having sold over 150
million albums. Their music includes unforgettable songs such as Tequila Sunrise, Lying Eyes, Get Over It,
Heartache Tonight, Witchy Woman, Take It to The Limit, One Of These Nights,
Desperado, Life In The Fast Lane, Love Will Keep Us Alive and The Long Run. Not to forget the iconic Hotel California which is regarded by
many as one of the best rock songs of all time.
All these and more are heard when the
fabulous seven piece band takes to the stage at the Heritage Theatre. Fronted
by four guitarists it was almost as if one had died and gone to guitar heaven. The
distinctive Eagles’ guitar style is brilliantly handled by Barry Thompson and
the very impressive Andy Turrell. Their duos on Life in the Fast Lane and Hotel
California are incredibly good. They are well-supported by Shaun Dragt on
rhythm guitar and Riaan Jacobz on acoustic. The ever reliable engine room for
this group is Mali Sewell on drums and Jason Andrew – playing brilliantly with
a broken hand – on bass.
With a show of this standard there could
only be one person looking after musical direction and playing keyboards, and
that is the unrivalled Dawn Selby. She must be one of the best in the country
in this genre of music. The eighth, very important component, of the band is
sound engineer Glen Turrell. His sound balance is incredibly good and makes a
major contribution to the quality of the show.
Of course, no evening out at The Heritage
Theatre would be complete without one of their splendid meals. As usual, the
menu has been tweaked for the new show. My wife and I enjoyed a Mushroom and Butternut
Thermidor as a starter. Baked with cream, garlic and mozzarella cheese it was
rich and warming. Other starters are Ostrich Salad Roulade and Durban Samoosas.
New to the menu is a Malay Chicken and
Prawn Curry which was my wife’s choice for mains. She found it satisfyingly hot
and spicy but a little short on meat. My choice was the superb and full-flavoured
Braised Pork Neck Steak. Other mains are Veggie Stack and Oven Baked Fish
Fillet. Desserts are also available as an extra.
Eagles – Taking It Easy is an
outstanding show and excellent entertainment. I heard my wife telling a friend
that she rated the first half 10 out of 10 and the second half 20 out of 10. Yes!
It really is that good. Don’t miss out.
Eagles
– Taking It Easy runs at the Heritage Theatre at the Heritage Market in Hillcrest until
September 15. Doors open at 18h30 for dinner and the show starts at 20h30. Tickets
R195 pp Wednesdays to Saturdays (R165 on Tuesday evenings and Sunday lunch time)
include a two course meal. Bookings can be made by phoning 031 7654197 or
online at www.heritagetheatre.co.za
– Keith Millar
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