Blonde Ambition
By Melanie Sjoberg
Before You Were Blonde, Adelaide's wild, jean-clad choir, launched Blonde Ambition, its first three-track CD, at the Fringe on February 18 to an unusually sedate but appreciative audience.
The vibrant group comprises 16 women and 17 men aged between 17 and 36, initially coming together as a project of Carclew Youth Arts Centre.
Under the direction of Andrea Reniets, the choir has played in many successful gigs around town. Its live performance offers a mixture of contemporary covers and original numbers complemented by some creative choreography and a good dose of sound politics.
The CD offers a brief insight into the potential of this group. The wide-ranging harmonies convey the depth of the lyrics clearly. "Don't Assume" depicts life in the '90s and the problems resulting from people making assumptions about what a woman should be. The second track takes up the theme of Aboriginal land, and the final moving song is about the damage resulting from child abuse.