CityLife

The Soldiers

The Soldiers
The Bridgewater Hall
March 21, 2010

When they appeared at the tail end of 2009, the trio of Sergeant Major Gary Chilton, Lance Corporal Ryan Idzi and Staff Sergeant Richie Maddocks, collectively now known as The Soldiers, managed to move right into the hearts of many with their rousing debut Coming Home.

The album's title track, a hopeful plea for all those brave soldiers serving in the middle east a safe journey home, was picked up by the media and brought the trio to the country's attention, propelling them to number four in the UK album chart in the process.

But if the album's title track was a heartfelt, lump-wedged-firmly-in-throat patriotic number, the rest of the album was made up of a curious mix of pop and soul covers that have little common theme nor sit well together - and this evening's setlist unfortunately suffers from the same problems.

The three tackle feel-good classics such as Bill Withers’ Lean On Me, Wet Wet Wet’s breakthrough Sweet Little Mystery, and I’ll Stand By You - last belted out by Girls Aloud, and while each are ably tackled, it’s obvious that none of the gentlemen is in possession of a commanding or charismatic vocal that will elevate the songs past mere competent cabaret singalongs.

Even the youngest member, Ryan Idzi - a previous X Factor contestant, reaching the 'bootcamp' stage - has a distinctly average-at-best colourless voice. He looks a little spotlight shy, with his hand in his pocket throughout, lacking a certain stage command.

Meanwhile, his bandmates Gary Chilton and Greater Manchester-born Richie Maddocks fare little better, with stage moves that can be picked up from any embarrassing drunken dad karaoke performance up and down the country of a Saturday evening. For evidence of this, look to their cover of Queen’s Crazy Little Thing Called Love and an unforgivable version of the Quo’s Rockin’ All Over The World. 

But for all the trio’s obvious song choices, average vocal performance and hackneyed choreography, the group do manage to lead the half-full venue into clapping along at several sections - and even coax a standing ovation at the end.

With a better thought-out collection of songs behind them, they might fare better.