Choir! Choir! Choir! have left their Canadian stronghold and are touring the UK, with a show focused on memorable songs from the 1980s. What makes Choir! Choir! Choir! special is that the audience contributes to at least half of the show’s success. People attend Choir! Choir! Choir! to sing, hum and dance.
Founded by Nobu Adilman and Daveed Goldman in 2011, Choir! Choir! Choir! regularly play in Toronto. However, thanks to YouTube, these Clinton’s Tavern events have achieved a wide international following and the opportunity to collaborate with an array of international artists.
Embarking on their first U.K. tour, Choir! Choir! Choir! are playing each of the major cities across March and April. One stop, inevitably, included London and Digital Journal was present for the show at the Clapham Grand (which first opened as a Victorian Music Hall in 1900).
The gig was based around 1980s pop hits. Some of these were pre-selected and include projected lyrics, others were spontaneous, based on requests from the audience (like the marching beat of the Proclaimer’s I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)). The ability to play, sing (and dance) to requests was a sign of the duo’s talent and intimate knowledge of popular music.
The duo has an intuitive ability to create an intense and electric atmosphere with the audience. This is a combination of interaction, bonhomie, comedy and an understanding of what people appreciate in having a good time.
The songs sung included hits by Prince (When Doves Cry), Madonna (Like A Virgin), and George Michael (the latter being the only song from outside of the 1980s – Freedom – which was played as an encore, to celebrate the return of live music following the COVID-19 lockdowns).
Other songs sung included Erasure’s A Little Respect, Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time and a wonderful rendition of Journey’s biggest hit.
At different stages in the evening Adilman and Goldman help the audience with the more challenging parts of a song, including harmonies – which worked incredibly well when the audience is divided into three groups.
For those seeking an experience that emphasises collective joy, then Choir! Choir! Choir! are well worth catching (and participating along with). You don’t have to be any kind of singer as the collective singing is excellent and even the sound of an awful singer (like this journalist) is carried away by the collective talents of hundreds of other people.
Choir! Choir! Choir! creates an excellent collaborative and interactive experience and it really gets those endorphins buzzing.
Who knew collective singing could bring so much joy?
