Oh God! Neil Diamond Sounds Like Me

Adelaide singer Dave Freeman brings Neil Diamond to life in his tribute to the American icon. You can feel the anticipation from the crowd as he begins his first song and then a sigh as you realise that Freeman does indeed sound like the singer/songwriter that many have grown up with. He captures that raw sincerity and that undeniable inflection that Diamond has. I turned away many times to realise this would be as close as I would ever get to seeing the original live.

Freeman pauses between songs to give you a bit of history on the man that is Neil Diamond; from stories about his family and his musical collaborations, to an insight into the depression and self-doubt that has followed him through his career. He shows a collection of slides to go along with his stories, however it was distracting and interrupted the flow when at times mid-sentence he would retreat upstage to press a button to activate the next picture. He would have been better off asking the back-up singers to do this as they were free.

All the old favourites were performed, including ‘Sweet Caroline’ and ‘Cherry Cherry’, but highlights for me came in the form of ballads; ‘September Morn’, ‘I am, I said’ and ‘Love on the Rocks’ hushed the otherwise noisy crowd.

It is important as a performer to pick a venue that enhances your performance; that captures the right kind of ambience. Freeman fought a losing battle with coffee machines brewing, plates and cutlery clanging and a pokie room that was loud and obnoxious for the entire evening. It was disappointing that such a talented singer and band had to compete with these constant disturbances, but to his credit he was the consummate professional.

Kerry Cooper