Armed with debonair wit and a trusty guitar, singer-songwriter Chris Tavener – no stranger to a gig – invites us into The King’s Arms to convince another of his audiences that he’s cooler than cool. Threatening to blow his cover, though, are those discordant, intrusive thoughts.
It’s immediately made clear just how well Tavener knows his way around a guitar: he plays with instinctive confidence, continuously filling the space with foot-tapping riffs and melodies.
His doubting inner voice plays out loud between songs, enabling the audience to hear the anxious musings that contrast Tavener’s tongue-in-cheek lyrics. This largely successful comedic device could be further deployed by using it to string a narrative; as implied by the title, the perceptibly-cool exterior battling with an insecure mind.
As well as linking the songs together, this would also allow for spoken interludes. Sometimes mere seconds pass before Tavener has launched into the next number. His spark is inextinguishable!
Each song makes for an engaging little parcel of observational humour, covering themes from coffee addiction to smartphone wars. Tavener’s unique voice makes them a joy to listen to, one that often reminded this reviewer of Mika in the Grace Kelly singer’s more deeply-vocalised hits.
Since Faking Cool is pitched as a comedy show, the mostly-tame lyrics would benefit from daring to venture into edgier territories more often.
While some may call Chris’ coolness into question, nobody can deny his musical, satirical, individual flair.
‘Chris Tavener is Faking Cool continues at The King’s Arms, Salford until 11th July with tickets available from https://greatermanchesterfringe.co.uk/events/chris-tavener-is-faking-cool/
Reviewer: Scot Cunningham
Reviewed: 10th July 2024
North West End UK Rating: