Mark Shelley and Peter O’Regan are bringing their show – ‘The Sounds of Simon and Garfunkel’ – to the Blue Mountains Theatre on March 21.
But unlike iconic musical duo Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, you’ll be able to find these two singers having a chat over coffee.
“We argue a bit less than they did,” Shelley said with a laugh.
“They had an interesting volatile relationship. I’ve done a lot of research on Simon and Garfunkel, and I think they really cared for each other, but they were two strong personalities trying to work together. They were a remarkable combination, but it just couldn’t last.”
Simon and Garfunkel’s music defined the ‘60s. Although their relationship was strained, their voices created a perfect balance.
“I grew up listening to them and their harmony – the blend of the two voices is exquisite,” Shelley recounted.
“I also taught myself how to play guitar when I was a young bloke by listening to Paul Simon’s guitar playing.”
Before Simon and Garfunkel went their separate ways in the ‘70s, they brought out hits like ‘Mrs Robinson’, ‘Sounds of Silence’, ‘Cecilia’, and many more.
“The genre is called folk rock. It’s folk music, very acoustic based, there is storytelling and social commentary, and it’s very emotive,” Shelley described.
“I think Paul Simon is a genius in terms of his songwriting ability; his breadth of work is huge and lyrically he is astounding. I put him up there with the top songwriters of the contemporary era.”
For the Blue Mountains show, Shelley and O’Regan will blend their voices with decades of friendship behind them.
“Peter is a long-term professional singer, and we’ve known each other for 30-odd years, so it’s a joy singing with him,” Shelley stated.
“The two of us will be singing, I play guitars, and we have a bass player and a keyboard player with us as well who are exceptionally good musicians.
“We’re not taking on any characters; this is a celebration of the songs. I tend to sing the higher harmony part, which was Garfunkel, but then I also play the Paul Simon guitar part. It’s a bit of a hybrid of the way they worked. We do that because it suits our vocal blend best.”
Shelley and O’Regan consider the music of Simon and Garfunkel timeless, and that is reflected in their audience.
“We find our audience is mostly above 55-years-old, but we also see young people who are interested in music and songwriting who come to the show because they admire the work,” Shelley explained.
“We also see kids coming with their dads or people coming with their
grandparents.”
Witness the songs and sounds that defined the ‘60s on Saturday, March 21 at Blue Mountains Theatre. Tickets are available online at www.bluemountainstheatre.com.au.
