Holy [Cungadero], there you FUNKY little worms, that show was AWESOME!

When we arrived, the man sitting at the seat next to us said he had been at the previous show (Star Wars themed), and they were so good that he had bought a ticket for the Gamer Jazz show as well. Expectations were rising. 

This was the third year that Gamer Jazz has made its way to FRINGE WORLD Festival, but only for 1 night! All that work and just 1 night?! The band was 7 strong, with 14 instruments between them (that I counted, I hope I didn’t miss any).

The band leader and saxophonist (and flautist) was also our host, and he was a lovely blend of funny, relaxed, gamer geek (a badge that is worn with pride in our home, so it is written with affection). Between the banging musical numbers, he took us on a journey of history and gaming nostalgia. 

There were the audience favourites; ‘Ruder Buster’, ‘Gerudo Valley’, The Super Smash Bros main theme, then lesser known songs like the music from Bomberman and Command and Conquer Red Alert, and then an unexpected ‘I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire’ from Fallout, an audience favourite and Tom Greble did an amazing job on vocals!

The Mario Kart World Main theme was particularly brilliant, and the Super Smash Bros music set the theme as the opener used to introduce the players (musicians). Every musician was a critical hit, combining for a Legend of Zelda-worthy quest that left the audience with full hearts and zero regrets. 

To the musicians who created this show, my son, who was the beaming young man in the comfy bench seats whose face was lit up like Christmas for the whole show, would really like me to add that ‘Ruder Buster’ was the highlight of the show, and that song alone was worth the long trip into the city to watch you.