"Have you seen the state of the mess we're in?"
Gone to the Dogs has quite an extensive set for a solo show; especially a song cycle. It includes a keyboard, a table with props like gloves, a short table for a microphone, a pile of props next to a "throne" covered with a robe, and a small radio playing "Common People" as the audience enters. After a few moments, the performer, Tsarzi, walks up the steps onto The Flair Ground's stage, dressed in a regal white outfit, head held high. She enters silently, walking around and observing her surroundings before taking a seat at the keyboard and beginning to play.
Immediately, one can tell that Tsarzi is an incredibly talented musician and performer. Throughout the show, which is entirely sung-through, she sings, plays piano, violin, and uses a looper to create a variety of pieces that reflect on England's past while also wondering about its future.
There are some truly haunting bits of Gone to the Dogs that work well and add a sense of foreboding that reflects the current feelings of many in the United Kingdom. Throughout the show, when there is a "scene change", a distorted sound comes over the speakers and the lights around the stage began flashing in different colours and Tsarzi enters in a trance-like state, repeating the same actions of picking up and putting down her props. There is also one particularly creepy bit in which Tsarzi imitates quotes from British politicians with robotic movements.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to understand what Tsarzi is saying throughout the show, mostly due to sound issues (I have yet to see a performance at The Flair Ground that hasn't had these issues) and too much going on at once on the stage. Even though each of the songs is individually different, the songs themselves become quite repetitive, with some going on for what felt like ages, repeating lyrics and melodies.
Ultimately, Gone to the Dogs is an interesting show, but difficult to understand at times, making it a struggle for me to fully enjoy what was going on on stage. It is tough to tell whether the performance was satire, poking fun at those who miss the "good old days" of England, or a genuine performance mourning the loss of what can only be remembered now.
Gone to the Dogs is running at the VAULT Festival from 25 February to 5 March at 4:15 PM at The Flair Ground at The Vaults.
Photo Credit: VAULT Festival
VAULT Festival has been left without a venue for next year. You can contribute to the #SaveVAULT campaign here.
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