Review: The Man In Black

Arts Festival

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The Man In Black: The Johnny Cash Story
Pacific Blue Festival Club, Wednesday

Featuring Australian rock survivor/failure Tex Perkins as Johnny Cash and Rachael Tidd as June Carter, this is, pardon the pun, a cash-in as much as it is a tribute.

Since Johnny Cash's death in 2003, 14 weeks after his wife, June Carter Cash, died, the world has lapped up most things to do with one of country music's biggest stars - and that includes the selective Hollywood biopic Walk The Line.

For this tribute, the story is mostly told in song, with simple biographical details linking the songs in a script that, presumably, came straight from Wikipedia.

Perkins has received rave reviews for copping the mannerisms of Cash, but that would be the case only if it were a Cash played by Jim Carrey impersonating Nick Cave - and that goes for both the sound and look.

But as soon as Walk The Line and Hey Porter ring from the stage, the fans are happy. And that is the secret to this show - it is based around the music of Johnny Cash. No surprise there, of course - but the magic is that simple.

Tidd, as June Carter, is somewhat annoying. It feels like Perkins is acting as if he has his own story he wants to tell, while Tidd reacts as someone does when they have studied the source material far too closely. The two have chemistry together, but it is a plastic chemistry.

Mentions are made of Cash's volatility, and of the contradictions and duality inherent in his personality ("he loved Jesus and cocaine - often at the same time") but it is lip-service only. In the second act, where the music does most of the talking, we jump from 1970 to 2003.

Admittedly, Cash had no real hits in this 30-year gap but - as with the Hollywood film and several lazy biographies since his death - this is not really telling the full story.

After a version of Nine Inch Nails' Hurt, following discussion of Johnny dying of a broken heart just three months after June's passing, the moment is ruined with a cheesy clap-happy Ring Of Fire and then a rousing encore medley of the hits. The backing band play rockabilly with a crisp show-band sheen.

If you missed the show, don't worry. It's likely to return to an RSA near you, where it deserves to be. And where it will receive another standing ovation.

- © Fairfax NZ News