Donny Benét | Adelaide Festival 2021 review

Benét’s skullet and moustache combo make for a humorous experience, but write him off as a novelty act at your own peril.

Donny Benét. Picture: Wes Nel.

Donny Benét

Contemporary Music / AUS

FESTIVAL

The Summerhouse

March 7

Who is Donny Benét?

Donny Benét is the love child of Hall & Oates, if Daryl Hall and John Oates were capable of having a love child.

Donny Benét is Bryan Ferry serving drinks on a superyacht. He’s a water slide on a warm day, he’s driving with the top down. Donny Benét could be the mayor of Miami.

To sell out a show on a Sunday evening, and one with the threat of rain at that, is no mean feat but the king of post-disco bass jams did it easily.

And everyone in that packed house walked out with a smile on their face because it’s pretty much impossible to watch Donny Benét live and not smile.

Benét’s skullet and moustache combo and his band’s matching suits, combined with his lyrical content, all make for a humorous experience. But write them off as a novelty act at your own peril, because bass player Benét and his sidekicks on sax, guitar, drums and keys are all seriously good musicians.

It’s this fact that lifts Benét and band out of the novelty and into the sublime.

In an hour-long set that was basically a run-through of latest record Mr Experience, Donny and his boys treated the crowd to as much post-disco ’80s-influenced pop as they could handle.

There are shades of Prince, pieces of Giorgio Moroder, bits of Hot Chocolate and Lionel Richie, and it’s all mixed together in that unique Benét style.

“We had to start early because they said it was going to rain,” Benét tells the crowd.

“Well this song won’t keep you dry. In fact, it might have the opposite effect,” he quips with a cheeky grin before launching into Konichiwa.

It’s a crowd favourite, as are Girl of My Dreams – with it’s wonderful whistled intro – and Negroni Summer.

One Night in Paradise pumps up the funk, and an encore of Santorini, from 2018 release The Don, is the perfect way to finish.

The Covid marshals in charge of putting a stop to sexy dancing certainly earned their money at this show.

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