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Review: Confidence Man, Bristol Beacon – ‘A riotous and joyous setlist to chase away the winter blues’
It may be nearly midwinter in England, but pop quartet Confidence Man flooded the Beacon Hall with their glam pop sound, as luxuriating as the sunshine of their native Australia.
Confidence Man is perhaps without a particular antecedent: it’s difficult to pinpoint an act they are attempting to emulate or imitate. Their sound is a rich cornucopia of ’80s synth-pop, Eurotrash, disco and new wave, all packaged with catchy hooks and toe-tapping beats.
Their current UK tour aligns with the promotion of latest album 3AM (La La La), which received a five-star review in Rolling Stone magazine.
is needed now More than ever
Sugar Bones and Janet Planet go wild on stage while their band mates remain enigmatic in black face coverings
The band consists of singers Sugar Bones and Janet Planet, accompanied by Reggie Goodchild and Clarence McGuffe on keyboards and drums, respectively.
Unlike Sugar and Janet, Reggie and Clarence present themselves with an enigmatic aura, their faces covered by black veils reminiscent of beekeeper hats.
Confidence Man burst onto the scene with high profile festival support slots in 2016 and, in 2022, accompanied Noel Gallagher and his High Flying Birds at Canon Marsh Amphitheatre as part of the Bristol Sounds festival.
But their adrenaline-pumping sets soon became main events in their own right.
‘Sugar and Janet are a well-oiled partnership’ that get the crowd going with their moves
When the Aussie quartet appeared in the Beacon Hall, following the support act FCUKERS, there was a palpable excitement in the sold-out crowd, which gave them a raucous welcome. Even those seated remained standing throughout the set, soaking up the evening’s bacchanalian offerings.
They kicked off the set with Now U Do, and carefully interspersed crowd-pleasing anthems, including Toy Boy, All My People, and Does It Make You Feel Good?
Sugar and Janet are a well-oiled partnership, delivering powerful vocals, energetic choreography and daring stage antics. Sugar can throw and balance Janet on his knees as effortlessly as tying a shoelace. The routines are enhanced by multiple wardrobe changes throughout the 60-minute set.
Their latest release has received five star reviews
The popular numbers of the night sent the crowd into a frenzy. The packed set turned the cathedral-like feel of the Hall into a sweaty nightclub in minutes, with writhing bodies drunk on the ecstasy of the sonic boom.
Sugar and Janet came down from the stage to meet and greet fans, without missing a beat in the performance. They high-fived, crowd-surfed, and sprinkled bottled water, much to the delight of their adoring crowd.
But there was nothing trivial about the sophisticated routines, which were flamboyant, precise, riotously funny, and steamy all at once.
Janet’s LED-lit conical bra, reminiscent of Madonna’s Jean-Paul Gaultier design, and Sugar’s washboard physique, coupled with the visual montage on the backdrop, garnered raucous applause from the audience.
Confidence Man dance routines: ‘flamboyant, precise, riotously funny, and steamy’
The quartet had the packed crowd in their palms when they prompted the audience to sing the alternating chorus of BREAKBEAT and SO WHAT.
SICKO, with its catchy synth bass, and Real Move Touch, a collaboration with Sweetie Irie, went down a treat with the crowd. Meanwhile, the insistent melody and chorus of 3AM (La La La) was the showstopper of the evening.
There was a tinge of disappointment after the set—because it ended. The rapturous applause compelled the band back for an encore, marking the end of a memorable set by some of the most imaginative creatives in the music scene.
All photos: @darrencphotography
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