Tubular Bells for Two
Paying tribute to the album that answers many a trivia question.
Overview
If Tubular Bells sounds familiar, that's because Mike Oldfield's 1973 album provides the answer to many a trivia question. Which Celtic folk-rock record became a surprise hit, helped Richard Branson start his Virgin brand, pops up in The Exorcist, was once released as an interactive Commodore 64 computer game, and features its composer playing 17 different instruments? Yep, it's this one.
Indeed, the legend of Tubular Bells has only grown over the years — although Aussie musicians Aidan Roberts and Daniel Holdsworth have had a little something to do with that in recent times. After listening to the album around a fire, as you do, they decided to do the impossible: recreate the whole thing, play it live, and do so without any other on-stage assistance.
Since 2009, they've been showcasing Tubular Bells for Two to the world, and earning Fringe Festival awards around the globe for their troubles. Now they're treating Brisbane to the choreographed chaos that is two men playing everything from Spanish guitars to synthesizers, and paying tribute to an unlikely enduring classic in the process.