Out of the Blue

100487 original

Out of the Blue burst onto the stage looking like a bunch of impeccably well turned-out prefects. But it’s an image that’s immediately shattered by their funky, a capella arrangements of classic songs by everyone from U2 to Jessie J, and by their tight dance routines and fluid moves.

The look and the sounds make a surprising combination, at first at least. But there’s a sincerity to Oxford’s Out of the Blue that makes them a real pleasure to watch. The 15 strong a cappella group, who rose to prominence on Britain’s Got Talent in 2011, are a long way from the carefully manipulated image of a manufactured boy band, but what matters here is the energy of the performance and the slickness of the act.

And slick and energetic it truly is, with a sonorous version of Queen’s ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’ kicking off the show, which later features a very effective mash-up of ‘Got To Get You Into My Life’ with ‘Isn’t She Lovely?’, and a colourful ‘Mambo No.5.’ They do some good original arrangements – the poise and poignancy they bring to U2’s ‘With or Without You’ is astonishing. And as a combined force, they can produce a sound that hits you right in the stomach.

Some voices are better than others, and the balance isn’t always quite right – the lead singer sometimes gets drowned out by his over enthusiastic colleagues. But it’s the natural charm and enthusiasm of this charismatic group that makes the show a pleasure.