2 Critics 2 Late and Getting Nasty (4 at the Flying Duck)

GKV: I bet there is some burlesque on in the room. I can see shadows against the wall that look like fans flying through the air and there's a loud rock'n'roll track playing. Hang on, I think I just caught a wee bit of black feather by the bar. Eric's nowhere to be seen, of course. The room seems to be very attentive. Except for me. I am stuck by the computer. I'll have some questions for Eric when he gets back.

GKV: Where have you been, my darling young son? And what did you see there, my blue-eyed one?

EK: Well, I saw Bert Finkle & the Markee De Saw perform their set. One of the songs was taken from the Lambada, did you know that? Also, the Markee had quite a range - she seemed to slip easily from operatic notes to cabaret-style melody, as well as her spoken-word narration.

They were swiftly followed by Kim Khaos, who performed a very venue-appropriate burlesque dance. Using a mix of Alfred Hitchcock's voice and quacking sounds, she flapped about some feathery fans and removed clothing. Back to burlesque it is. But now, the Great Aziz is performing magic, isn't he?

GKV: I see you are trying to get in on the Vile style alliteration there... feathery fans flapping... Aziz produces birds from his handkerchief and makes them disappear... he is silent and has classical musical playing... close up magic is better from a distance, and Aziz is relaxed and confident. He's been impressing on the scene for a while, and his finesse is elegant and gentle. It's nice to see a performer not needing to shout his talent or turn magic into violent and frightening sessions. He keeps pulling the birds, though. He's got a cage-full and... he just made the cage disappear.

Of course, for Mr Criticulous, Aziz harks back to the vaudeville tradition - it's almost a homage to the old school variety. So is that cabaret? The recreation of past acts? A connection to tradition and all ages fun?

Hang on, Eric's back and now Paul Puppet is taking the piss out of us from the stage. But Eric said this: "cabaret-style melody". Now he going to explain what that means, since he must have the secret of cabaret...

EK: What I meant was that her singing was neither operatic nor pop. I don't really know what cabaret is, but I know it's not opera. It's dark, mysterious, dangerous even... maybe even forbidden, like the Lambada and the tango? 

Vile, get up off the floor... ph, you're looking for an SD slot for the camera? We can check in a minute.

GKV: The Lambada?