The ability to perfectly emulate the voice of other singers is one many vocalists work hard to develop, while the rare few who seem to be born with it are generally envied.
But for Stewart Reeve, who has been able to reproduce the sounds of great singers for as long as he can remember, that natural ability has come with its own difficulties.
“My voice has this ability, I describe it like a guitar pedal, where it’s one instrument but it can create a multitude of sounds,” Reeve said.
“I don’t like using the word ‘impersonate’, because I’m not donning a wig and costume… I don’t know if there’s a better word for it, but it’s just what I do. When I start to sing it’s usually in the voice of whoever the artist is.
I can’t seem to shake it; sometimes it’s intentional but most of the time it’s not. But the problem I find is that I hear people singing in their own voices, and I’m like, where is that? I struggle to find my own voice.
“All the singing teachers I’ve had have always said, you’re so good at not being you. It’s a bit of a backhanded compliment, but it’s just what I do.”
Reeve’s award-winning, one-man show Chameleon, which he has presented to rave reviews at the Adelaide Fringe and Edinburgh Fringe festivals, is both a showcase of his ability as a vocalist and mimic and an exploration of his journey to find a voice just his own.
Drawing on material that spans decades, including music from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Depeche Mode, Simply Red, Macy Gray and Tones and I, Reeve weaves the narrative of his life as a performer.
“(Chameleon) is not just me getting up there and doing a whole heap of quick-fire impressions, it’s me using all of those different voices and telling stories about how they fit into my personal journey as an artist,” he said.
“There are lots of funny stories, there are some deeper ones as well. I go right back to the early stages, talking about the dress-up basket, the influence of the TV shows we used to watch as kids, into the later years of me trying to find where I sort of fit into all of this.
“(Performing) is something that I’ve always done; I don’t think I’ve ever really been interested in anything else.”
Chameleon is showing at the Potato Shed on Saturday, May 27. For more information visit potatoshed.com.au.
