Live Review: Amadou & Mariam

As we line up to enter the Sydney Town Hall the familiar sound of some of Amadou & Mariam's most revered tracks pump through the in-house speakers; it seems a little strange listening to the tracks of the band you're about to go and see while in the courtyard of the venue, but at least we all like it.

We're handed white pieces of cardboard, roughly half the size of an A4 sheet, as we walk through the doors to the very dimly lit hall. On the sheet it is explained that the performance will take place in complete darkness and, in the case of severe discomfort, we are to raise the card above our head to be escorted out of the venue. But when you're out, you're not getting back in.

As we wander into the auditorium the sounds of crickets and other insects buzz through the speakers. We are welcome to take seats wherever we like and it's comical watching and hearing people make sure they have a good view of the stage.

Eventually, the hall plunges into complete darkness, the occasional flicker of light from the night vision viewers the front of house staff are given to patrol the crowd the only (very slight) interruption to complete and utter darkness.

Eclipse is a journey through the life of the Mali-bred husband and wife; it explores how they came to find an interest in performing music, the way in which they managed to overcome seeing their blindness as a handicap and embrace it. Their meeting, their marriage and their rise to stardom are all accompanied by a specific song from that era of their musical career and it goes to tshow that, even though they're a relatively new musical treat for most Australian ears, the duo have been hard at it for decades.

There are two aspects of the Eclipse show that are most powerful, however. Most obviously is the way we react to enjoying music in this setting; those who go to shows to listen to music intently wouldn't have found their interaction with the music all that different than a regular show, but a more casual music fan is likely to be shocked at the way they absorb music when there are no distractions to keep them from giving it their utmost attention. The very experience of being in pitch darkness is rather fascinating, though, and the emotions that go along with it are quite extreme. The frustration at not being able to see who is onstage playing what instrument sets in fairly quickly, the nervous anticipation of what will come next is heightened when you can't see a thing and the scents that are pumped through the theatre to set the scene of the duo's story become very important in giving the audience a sense of place.

The other big aspect of this show is the simple fact that Amadou & Mariam and the band that accompanies them is ridiculously good. The joyous blues tinged Afro-pop is played with utter precision by all nine members on stage – the lights do come up at the end so we can enjoy a couple of songs with the benefit of seeing the band in action. While there would be few – if any – people in the audience who could understand what is being sung about through the show, the music speaks for itself and it speaks loudly.

It's not a life-changing experience, but Eclipse is certainly an interesting show that will give you a new perspective on the way you absorb music in a live setting.