Caggie Dunlop at The Borderline

Caggie Dunlop at The Borderline | Live review

11^th October 2013

11 October 2013

Being famous in one medium is not enough for some people. Throughout pop’s long history, TV personalities have been trying their hand at the singing game. There have been many successes (Kylie) and just as many failures (Jennifer Ellison, anyone?). The latest to try her luck is Made in Chelsea star Caggie Dunlop, and judging by last night’s performance she may be better off sticking to the small screen.

In all fairness, The Borderline may not have been the best venue for her. While it was certainly packed out (pushing through to the merchandise stall at the back to buy a ”Keep Calm and Caggie On” t-shirt took some effort), the acoustics didn’t do Dunlop any favours. Coupled with the constant chatter from those at the bar (who could be heard ordering a whole lot of tequilas throughout the set) the quality of the songs really needed to be top notch to make an impression.

Dunlop’s short setlist was uniformly ominous. Decked out in a white suit, she was backed by a trio of black-shirted musicians who provided a bed of dull electronica for her pleasant but unexceptional vocals. Only one melody of the night stood out: her re-worked version of Lykke Li’s Tonight. Elsewhere, she invoked the name of Adele with Smoking Gun, which she presented as a possible theme for the upcoming Bond film of the same name. Skyfall it was not.

While the quality of the music could be faulted, Dunlop’s enthusiasm could not. Brimming with confidence, she was obviously delighted to be showcasing her music and kept up a friendly conversation with the audience. For the last track, Dirty Dancing, former X-Factor contestant Jake Quickenden was invited on stage to bust some moves. It felt like a couple of mates fooling around, which in a sense it was.

Dunlop is not short on cash, so if she wants to try and be a pop star, she can. Being taken seriously is a whole other matter.

Andrew Drummond
Photos: Chiara Ceccaioni

For further information and future events visit Caggie Dunlop’s website here.