REVIEW: George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic Bluesfest Sideshow

George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic @ The Enmore Theatre 20 April 2019

Reviewed by Sharmaine Spencer

As someone who hadn’t experienced a George Clinton gig before I was completely blown away with the showmanship and energy of one of his shows. I feel like even though I hadn’t experienced it before, that it was something familiar to me – like heading home, and I’m glad I was able to experience this wonderful performer at least once. With a stage packed with vibrantly dressed band members, alluring backup dancers, and a majestic Clinton dressed all in white, I felt like I had been transported back in time; where I could witness familiar movements to that of the hip-hop gigs I attend more regularly, with band members roaming the stage, hyping the audience up, and using the stage as a free flowing space of ideas, music, and the setting of a true ‘vibe’.

I love attending gigs to learn and experience new music, and even though I had heard some of the Iconic tracks before and played them on my program, there’s something so romantic about experiencing music live for the first time, and for that reason, the majority of the gig felt like a lesson in funk, and the emotion of a time I had missed out on (only being born in the 90’s). Overall, I’d definitely recommend you attend a George Clinton show, however, I’m not sure if there’ll be another opportunity to do so!