Jane Bom-Bane's Greatest Hats [on-line review: Edinburgh Festival Venue 125 Aug 2003] :

"I stumbled across Jane Bom-Bane and Nick Pynn's free sampler of 'Jane Bom-Bane's Greatest Hats' at Fringe Sunday and was sufficiently intrigued by ten minutes of endearing whackiness to go and see the full show a couple of weeks later. It was a spell-binding experience and easily the best fringe 'discovery' I have made in the past 10 years. Reviewing Jane Bom-Bane's work is a bit of a problem because it is so original and unusual that it defies easy description. Trademarks include harmonium accompaniment and a beguiling selection of mechanical hats, worn by Jane to complement various songs and poems. (A particularly fine example was the Edinburgh hat, worn during a song celebrating the pastel delights of Edinburgh Rock, which is topped by the castle and has a train making a circuit at the base.) The songs themselves are an utter delight. The tunes are quirky, but infectious, the singing is charming and the lyrical content is intriguingly clever, with some dazzling word play. Above all the songs project a warmth, humanity and delight in the observation of the small but vital details of people and relationships which reward repeated listening and rediscovery in the excellent CDs I couldn't resist buying after the show. The performances were rendered stronger still by Nick Pynn's superb and highly original multi-instrumental accompaniment. A talent like this deserves to be much more widely recognised, and it is a great shame that the show this year did not attract more publicity and was not better attended, despite excellent published reviews for previous years' Fringe shows. I for one shall eagerly await the return of the Bom-Bane experience to Edinburgh and would cheerfully travel much further afield to recapture the magic of this performer."

Andrew Mounstephen, Aug 2003 www.healthyconcerts.com/artists

"This is an hour of eccentric song, based on the many hats of Jane. I haven't spent such an intriguing afternoon in ages. The hats themselves are also bizarre creations, connected to the subject of Jane's similarly enigmatic songs. Subjects (and hats) range from Edinburgh Rock (the tartan clad confectionery) to the interior of Jane's house. It's an easily accessible show revealing a unique, enchanting and probably revolving mind."

Three Weeks, Aug 22nd 2003

 

Jane's Fringe show from 2002 - The Year of the Palindrome