Frente. The name is synonymous with flower pots, a twangy Australian accent, sweet harmonies and oversized props. Those of us who remember Marvin The Album from start to finish remember it as a very special album from a special time.
Marvin the Album was hugely popular not only in Australia but also worldwide, and sold 1.2 million copies, as well as winning an Aria award. Hart said in an interview that the members of the band all had really strong musical tastes without realizing it, which made the album such a strong one
Their follow up album, Shape, didn’t enjoy the same success, but their show at the Arts Centre proved their fans have never given up on them.
Angie Hart begins the show with a little trepidation, but this seems to pass quickly as she warms to the crowd. Knowing that they are so adoring and supportive surely helps. In a stunning one-off outfit made especially for the show, complete with colourful mermaid-like tail and bright pink stockings, Hart is a delight to listen to and interact with. She chats, giggles and makes jokes throughout the performance.
Simon Austin plays mesmerizing acoustic chords and gazes longingly into Hart’s eyes and hugs and kisses her during the show. Simon and Angie have an amazing chemistry like no time has passed at all.
They talk about the past a lot, but never in a cynical way. Hart jokes that they “look exactly the same” and that she “can’t remember how the album goes,” and Austin talks about the things that seemed so important to them when they were 20, that perhaps aren’t so much anymore.
The crowd sings along, dances and cheer to most songs, especially the favourites like Labour of Love and Accidentally Kelly Street. While Hart tells the crowd “if you don’t sing along, we will all be mortally offended,” they really don’t need much encouragement.
One member of the audience asks them to “play it again” when they announce they’ve completed Marvin in full. They take requests from the audience, as well as performing an entertaining medley of covers, including Snoop Dog’s ‘Gin and Juice’ and ‘Dancing Queen.’
Pianist Gabby Huber brings a fresh dynamic to the group and show, and she impresses the crowd earlier as her solo act Maples. Peter Luscombe and Bill McDonald on bass and drums add great dimensions to the songs.
Members of the audience are overheard murmuring amongst themselves after the show about the way that Angie “lights up a room” and “moves a lot more than she used to.” Perhaps in the 21 years since the release of Marvin, old wounds have healed and a new appreciation and relaxation has come with performing. Outside the theatre, there is a display of Frente memorabilia, and while the photos show a band who have clearly grown up a lot in 21 years, their music has remained as magic and perfect as it always was.
