Simon & Garfunkel Culture

The Simon and Garfunkel Story @ G Live (11.06.14)


The Simon and Garfunkel Story by Maple Tree Entertainment came swooning into Guildford last night with a charming show full of harmonious delight. The show that takes you on a musical journey through the lives of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel delivers a storyboard of both their time as a duet and their solo careers.

Simon and Garfunkel came to prominence in the 1960s when their hit single ‘The Sound of Silence’ received huge amounts of airtime, before reaching No.1 on New Years’ Day 1966. This laid the platform for their success and they were soon asked to contribute heavily towards the soundtrack for the hit US blockbuster ‘The Graduate’ in 1967. The album garnered such songs as ‘Mrs Robinson’ and became a No.1 album in the US in ‘68. The pair release their fifth and final album in 1970 entitled ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ to huge critical acclaim, becoming the top selling album in the US in 1970, 1971 and 1972. Despite the popularity of its title song and other such as ‘Cecilia’ and ‘The Boxer’, the duo went their different ways afterwards as their long term friendship was stretched apart by musical differences.

Directed by David Beck and Dean Elliott who also featured on stage as Paul Simon, the show had a good pace and tempo linking classic tracks from the Hall of Famers with snippets of interesting information. The other four performers on stage included Jonny Smart with his permed, blonde hair as the iconic Art Garfunkel, as well as the multi-talented Murray Gardiner on keys and guitar, the excitable Leon Camfield on Bass and Josh Powell bringing it all together on drums.

The quintet played to a backdrop of rolling images throughout which really complimented the story telling side of the performance. Alongside ample pictures of the duet in action, there were photographs of contemporary 60s heroes such as Ali, JFK, Steve McQueen and Sean Connery, whilst footage of ‘The Graduate’ featured for obvious reasons.

There was an eerie feel when ‘Scarborough Fair’ serenaded the audience with grainy pictures of American troops and at other points the turbulent history of America in the 60s and 70s was captured with desolate American wastelands, industrial shadows and depictions of civil unrest. These themes defined a generation and helped create the environment in which music became an escape and the visuals certainly complimented the vocals on the night, enhancing the experience for the audience.

Dean Elliott and Jonny Smart did a fantastic job of re-creating the subtle harmonies that defined Simon and Garfunkel’s sound, whilst also casually telling the story between tracks. They got the audience involved at various points and performed solo at times, but also worked it well by cutting down the running time of most of the tracks in order to fit more hits into the show. The pair rightfully left the stage to a standing ovation after a stunning rendition of ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ and an energetic performance of ‘The Boxer’ in their encore.

Although G Live wasn’t fully packed out, there was a sizable and appreciative audience that were wooed by the lyrical genius of Simon and Garfunkel. Of course this was not the same as seeing the original pairing, but it was also a far cry from just watching an enthusiastic tribute act. The joy on the musician’s faces reverberated around the G Live auditorium and there was a bounce in the step of everyone after the show.

James Martin

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