I was kindly given the opportunity to attend The Overtones Good Times Christmas Tour in October. As someone who has briefly heard of the group, but isn’t incredibly aware of them, I went into this show quite blind and was pleasantly surprised with my evening.
The opening act, Tom Ball, was incredibly notable for me, as his stage presence, crowd control, and voice were all top-tier. Tom explained to the audience how he has had a hectic and prosperous few years, with him taking part in Britain’s Got Talent and then America’s Got Talent: All Stars, before releasing an album of his own. Tom’s voice was soulful, and he opened the night with a powerful ballad which sent waves throughout the audience and was a sure sign that we were in for a good night. Throughout his twenty-minute set, Tom performed a mixture of unreleased songs from his upcoming album and songs that he loved singing and had nostalgia for. His set was full of soulful, wintery melodies, with a stand-out being Bring Him Home from Les Miserables. I also loved an unreleased song from Tom’s upcoming album, titled Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.
Moving onto the main act, the boys gave us a night of energy, cheerfulness, and nostalgia. There wasn’t a dull moment on stage, with synchronised dance routines accompanying each song. Some of my favourites included the boys’ renditions of, I’m Still Standing, Gambling Man and Build Me Up Buttercup. The boys covered songs from the eighties, songs from powerful female singers, and fan favourites in their set, with Signed Sealed Delivered, and Say A Little Prayer being crowd pleasers.
Dressed in matching outfits, the boys clearly had a very playful dynamic amongst each other, which aided the little bits and gags between the songs. My favourite outfits for the boys were the matching red suits, which were cheerful and perfectly Christmassy. To add to the Christmas mood, and truly position this tour as a Christmas tour, the group performed their new Christmas single, called Turn Your Light On, which had a sentimental meaning, as it is about your loved ones, and never dulling your shine. This felt particularly sentimental, as parents, and partners of the group were sat in the audience in Cardiff. Walking in the Air, was also a beautiful warm, holiday song which was performed.
An aspect of this show that I particularly enjoyed, and that made The Overtones stand out for me was their amazing ability to control the audience and include audience interaction throughout the three-hour show. The audience was always part of the show, and it felt like one massive karaoke session. It was wholesome and exciting!
The entire set was full of lively, uplifting tunes which amplified the holiday mood which was laid by the stage setting. The stage was decorated in bright colours, and Christmas trees on either side of the stage. Following the interval (and outfit change!), The Overtones took a slight break from singing, to discuss and show gratitude for their journey thus far. They relayed to the audience how you shouldn’t give up on your dream, and talked about their X-Factor journey. A touching performance of 500 Miles was performed, as a reminder of their X-Factor days.
Towards the end of the night, a hit performance of Ladies Night took place, and with the majority of the crowd being women, this went down incredibly well! The group ensured they came towards the end of the night with a bang, as they performed Celebration, Sweet Caroline (a British classic), and also brought Tom back out on stage to perform as a quintet. The show felt incredibly personal and intimate, especially with the boys’ brilliant audience interaction, it felt like they knew every single person in the crowd.
As the night came to an end, the boys went off stage briefly, before coming back to do a medley performance of songs including 24K Magic by Bruno Mars. The night was perfectly ended with the popular Christmas tune, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, which I loved.
Overall, this was an incredibly enjoyable night and I had a lot of fun watching the performances. A stand-out point to me was how amazing the boys were at including the audience in their show throughout the night, and they made sure that this show didn’t just feel like a money grab or just another stop on their tour. They made Cardiff feel special, and in return, Cardiff made an effort to make The Overtones feel wanted in Cardiff, with them demanding another show sometime soon also! As I have now experienced with The Overtones, throughout the three-hour night, you are in good hands and guaranteed a good time!
Words by Bhamini Khandige
Featured image courtesy of Bhamini Khandige. No changes have been made to the image.