The Royal Festival Hall played host to Unnatural Harmony: Sounds of Lee Alexander McQueen, a tribute to the late fashion maverick. The small print clarifies that this show has no connection to the McQueen fashion house and features none of his designs. While some might view it as a cynical attempt to attract audiences to classical music, the show is actually created by John Gosling, McQueen's longtime musical director, alongside Robert Ames, conductor of the London Contemporary Orchestra (LCO).
A Blend of Genres
The LCO performs music that inspired McQueen, presented as a DJ mix with theatrical lighting and guest performers from various genres. The harmonies are largely concordant, reminiscent of Classic FM, with film soundtracks like The Hours and The Piano, along with tearjerkers such as Dido's Lament and Barber's Adagio for Strings. The friction lies in the combinations: two dancers in nude body stockings, one with hooves instead of hands and tights over her face, juxtaposed with the cello section in formal white tie and tails.
Mixed Musical Moments
Hearing Handel cut with the Rolling Stones in a jaunty string arrangement, or a blast of Nirvana, feels like a GCSE music teacher trying too hard to be cool. However, the blaring siren of Armand Van Helden's Witch Doktor is genuinely unsettling. Cabaret singer Le Gateau Chocolat brings presence and fabulous costumes—one resembling a green Quality Street wrapper—but like much of the show, seems under-rehearsed.
Choreographic Confusion
The two dancers, choreographed by Holly Blakey, appear in superfluous layers that exaggerate the messy world of the choreography. It is hard to tell whether the show is serious or sarcastic when the dancers shake their heads comically in time with a piano trill. There is a superficiality to this genre clash; are these art forms really speaking to each other, or is it provocation for its own sake?
Illuminating Moments
However, there are genuinely illuminating moments in a film choreographed by Michael Clark, a friend of McQueen. Both men are steeped in classical craft and punk spirit. We see dancer Jules Cunningham in a very Isabella Blow hat, and Simon Williams dancing to Barber's Adagio—one of the most loved and hackneyed pieces of music. The shocking starkness of Clark's ironed-out angles cuts through the familiarity, bringing a laser focus to the music.
This show is full of contradictions, wrestling between sweet and edgy, but ultimately ending up quite middle of the road. Unnatural Harmony: Sounds of Lee Alexander McQueen runs at the Royal Festival Hall, London, until 30 April.
