Vegas Underground

Each night at Assembly George Square, nostalgia invades the stage. Evoking the era of stars like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, Vegas Underground is a trip back to the golden age of the rat pack and the glittering Las Vegas show, attempting to whisk its audience from a characterless Edinburgh auditorium to the neon-decked glamour of the entertainment capital.

The performers behind this musical time travelling are singers Peter Grant and Rebecca Poole and pianist Danny McCormack, backed by a full eight-piece band. Together and separately, they perform a mixture of well-known classics—think "Hit the Road Jack" and "Call Me Irresponsible"—and their own vintage-inspired tracks. Each night they are also joined by a special guest, on this occasion genuine Vegas veteran and singing impressionist Bob Anderson, who uncannily conjures everyone from Sammy Davis Jr to Tom Jones.

There’s little doubting the talent of the performers, whose blasts of brass and velvety tones instantly recall a lost time, while McCormack’s frenzied attack on the piano keys is a spectacle all of its own. The framing, however, all feels a little forced. Grant and Poole have an easy onstage chemistry, but their banter between songs is occasionally strained, while everyone involved seems to be trying rather hard to have a good time.

Las Vegas, meanwhile, feels more like a handy label than a location the show ever comes close to conjuring. Like Anderson, making a living from shrugging on the identities of the greats, Vegas Underground can never be more than smiling imitation.