Adam Page’s rumpled appearance belies his personal skill, disarming the near-capacity crowd with a relaxed air prior to the show. However this dishevelled act disappears at his first sentence into the mic.

A little explanation is due at the beginning about what ‘looping’ is and a humorous demonstration follows with vocal frippery. Page is his own sound engineer, by way of his feet, while his hands and mouth take over the job of orchestra and band. His comic timing, improvisation and instrumental skill has the audience eating out of his hand for the rest of the evening.  The obvious enjoyment Page takes in his craft makes the exhausting array of instruments and vocals seem fun to the audience as well. 

Our jaws drop open as his first improvised piece starts with a tambourine then egg shaker as percussion, chased closely by mouth keyboard with the first tune. Clapping and vocal sound effects are added on before main and bass guitar overlay the second tune; vocal hip-hop supports the gap before flute and sax build the tension overload, and the final track is energising the audience into a cheer of appreciation and dancing.  The energetic pace doesn’t let up for the evening. If you aren’t dancing by the end of the night you are definitely bopping in your seat.

Moments of relaxation are interspersed with humour and comic musicality. Page gives the audience time to catch their breath for the next improvised onslaught by ‘playing his beard’ with a microphone. I vacillate between squirming in revulsion, being amazed at his cleverness and laughing at the ludicrous gall in his grinning face. Page presents equally comic acts by turning a vacuum cleaner into a didgeridoo and encouraging an octave of notes out of a soft drink bottle by drinking the contents.  He is equally an accomplished comedian as much as a musician. 

And man can he play! The sax is the best I hear anywhere, his passion as strong, and his flute as beautiful. I am very impressed with this man. Period! No two concerts are the same as each track is improvised on the spot.  This is a skill in itself.

When Page asks another act just finished, the Modern Maori Quartet, to join in by throwing a improv section on them with no notice, they don’t rise the occasion with anywhere near the same aplomb as Page. Although they do dress and look a lot better. 

The humour engages the audience but hides how talented Page really is. He is a man in a million. I doubt it will matter what music you like – everyone likes Adam Page.

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Going in to Adam Page I had no idea what to expect. One man, one looper, a menagerie of instruments and a beard to rival Rasputin.

The set up in Meow is reminiscent of an underground Jazz lounge. How fitting as we embark with Page on a musical expedition full of curiosity and intrigue. I say ‘with’ Page, because that is exactly how we are treated.  He has an intuitive knack for allowing his audience the privilege of standing at his level through humor, modesty and the self-effacing manner in which he proposes we are witnessing a casual jam session.

In fact, we experience the opposite. While Page admits to experimenting and improvising a few of his pieces, there is a point where a musician becomes not simply a player but an artist with the freedom of creation even in the absence of perfection. And create he does.

The looping process is experimental, captivating and simply genius. Layering instruments of all kinds takes us from the groove of an entire funk group to a number primarily based around a didgeridoo, which could have been the theme music for Australia. He takes us from funk to reggae, and this somehow allows him to channel his ‘inner Slash’ as Thunderstruck emerges in the middle somewhere.

A song is improvised simply with an audience member’s name and proves just how inventive and knowledgeable Page is with rhythm and sound alone. His ‘collage’ – an improvised piece where he combines three entirely different musical genres – attempts to merge Jazz, Opera and Metal. Can he? Well, you will have to witness it for yourself.

His expertise with the sax is obvious as this provides the basis for a number of solos, much appreciated by the audience. With the aid of the looper, the illusion of a group upholding the bass line makes us forget he is the only person on that stage.

Last night’s was a performance to be remembered. If his final number had been later than 8pm there is no doubt the audience would have broken into a dance party. And although he did well to select me as the audience member he would sing about, I would say regardless that Page is a musical puppeteer whose talents and abilities with anything even remotely musical knows no bounds.

Not to be missed.
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