What: Paul Potts with special guests Three Graces
When: Last night
Where: McPherson Playhouse
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Everyone loves a fairytale, especially the one about a wretched, forlorn commoner who suddenly discovers a hidden talent that magically transports him or her to another realm.
That's the secret behind the overnight success of Paul Potts, who looked so anxious and uneasy last year, standing on a stage in front of Simon Cowell and the other judges at the Britain's Got Talent show.
He didn't look unsteady or unlikely when he stepped out onto MacPherson stage last night, despite the fact his handlers said he had a serious cold earlier this week. His wide-legged stance looked confident and promising, but his voice wasn't great. It was downright embarrassing in spots, but then it doesn't really matter because Potts has a life story that appeals to people. His rise to fame is a testament to the power of YouTube and media messaging that can turn a puff of success into a flash fire before you can say: Hand me the remote.
Potts was discovered on a television show last June and since then he has sold two million copies of his first CD, appeared on Oprah, embarked a world tour and been approached to make a movie about his life. His CD sounds nothing like his performance last night, thanks to the wonders of sound mixing, no doubt.
Don't get me wrong, this British bloke looks like a nice guy -- shy, genuine, humble -- and he sings from the heart.
After taking a sip from a mug on stage, and saying there was nothing like a cup of tea, he noted last year at this time he was still selling mobile phones, "and I wouldn't be here without people like you. So thank you very much."
He offered his audience an occasional treat when he hit the sweet spot in a song, but most of the time he was clearly catching air wherever he could, sometimes smack in the middle of a phrase, sliding on and off the notes, flat at times, and holding the mike so close to his mouth he could have taken a nibble.
His Victoria concert was sold out in 20 minutes last December, and to his credit Potts gave his supporters many of the songs they wanted: Musical truffles from Les Misérables and Phantom of the Opera (which ended particularly badly) while a female trio called Three Graces belted out half a dozen tunes to give the tenderfoot tenor a few breaks.
The short, stocky 37-year-old native of south Wales performed with a 14-piece orchestra under the baton of violinist Mark Agnor and he is living his fantasy. But the performance reminded me of Eddie "the Eagle," that plasterer turned ski-jumper who soared into people's hearts at the 1988 Calgary Olympics.
This man has guts to get up on stage and sing like this.
No one wants to be needlessly cruel, but what was Simon Cowell thinking of, or the people who organized this tour? Money, perhaps?
Potts has a nice sense of humour, a certain presence and ease on stage, and his face is kindly, but his performance was lacking last night.
In April he travels to New Zealand, Australia, Japan and Korea before heading to Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Netherlands, where he performs in May and early June before the tour ends -- a year to the day since he made his famous television debut. I hope his voice holds out that long.
