EDINBURGH 2014 - BWW Reviews: THE AXIS OF AWESOME: VIVA LA VIDA LOCA LAS VEGAS, Gilded Balloon, August 3 2014

Comedy rockers The Axis of Awesome make their return as a trio to the Fringe after a couple of years away, much to the delight of a packed out and highly vocal audience at the Gilded Balloon. You certainly can't accuse them of false advertising, as the show is kicked off with a mash-up of Viva La Vida, Living La Vida Loca and Viva Las Vegas, demonstrating their trademark musical ability from the outset.

Fans of the group will enjoy new material in a well-selected set list linked by plenty of banter at the expense of each member of the group. Some songs have a distinct anti-consumerism slant, mocking the marketing spin of the likes of Apple and Nintendo, while others deconstruct the cliches of popular music, with boyband parody How To Write A Love Song being a particular highlight, before the band finish with their viral hits Four Chords and Rage of Thrones to loud appreciation.

With "YouTube sensation" being something of a contemporary equivalent of the "one-hit wonder", there can be something of a concern at buying a ticket for a concert potentially full of filler. However, this was a highly entertaining hour as the trio drew the audience into their rock-star fantasy and kept them cheering to the end.

The Axis of Awesome: Viva La Vida Loca Las Vegas is on at the Gilded Balloon at 9pm until August 24th (not 4th, 5th or 21st).