Premier Arts & Entertainment Coverage

Bond Songs: The Music of 007

March 23, 2026

Review by Markus Hamence – Bond Songs: The Music of 007 – 2026 Adelaide Fringe. Performance date: Sunday 22 March 2026. Holden Street Theatres, Adelaide, South Australia.

Oliver John and Leticia Lee took us on a journey through the music of the James Bond film series. Covering artists such as Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Adele, Paul McCartney & Wings and more – this show is a celebration of the last 6 decades of 007 and the music that has accompanied. Starting in the 60s, Oliver and Leticia guided us through the backstories of the hit songs and the artists who performed them, serenading the audience through to the present. Accompanied by a live 3-piece band, we heard the songs you expect and some that you don’t – showcasing what the pair deem to be the ‘unofficial Bond songs’. We were shaken and stirred by a night of epic live music, led by two of Adelaide’s premier vocalists.

Allow me to discuss if ‘Nobody Does It Better’ than John and Lee…

Forget the martinis and the Miss Money Penny clichés – this isn’t about pretending to be Bond. This is about what Bond sounds like when you strip it back, sharpen it up and let two seriously accomplished Adelaide artists take control of the narrative.

At Holden Street Theatres (one of my favourite venues for 2026 Adelaide Fringe), Bond Songs: The Music of 007 trades gimmick for groove, and it pays off instantly. Oliver John and Leticia Lee don’t play dress-ups with the material, NUP! – they inhabit it. There’s a quiet an gentle confidence in the way they approach these iconic tracks, like they know the songs are bigger than nostalgia and deserve to be treated as living, breathing pieces of music.

“Leticia Lee is the show’s undeniable centre of gravity. Her voice carries that smoky richness you want from Bond…”
Markus Hamence

Leticia Lee is the show’s undeniable centre of gravity. Her voice carries that smoky richness you want from Bond, but there’s also an emotional clarity that cuts deeper than expected. She doesn’t just hit the big notes – she shapes them, stretches them, lets them linger just long enough to land with weight and authenticity. It’s less about belting and more about control, and that restraint makes the moments of power feel even bigger. Leticia is all class.

Oliver John brings a different flavour – textured, grounded and slightly dangerous in tone. Where Lee glides, he leans in. There’s an edge to his delivery that gives the show contrast, and when the two come together, it creates this push-pull dynamic that feels genuinely electric. Their duets don’t just sound good – they feel like conversations.

The setlist moves with intention, not obligation. Instead of ticking off Bond’s greatest hits like a checklist, the show flows – building mood, shifting tempo, and pulling the audience through different eras of the franchise without ever losing its sense of identity. Some tracks hit with full cinematic force, while others are dialled back into something more intimate, almost confessional. That variation is what keeps it alive.

Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Golden Eye (I was wanting this one badly and I got it), A View To A Kill, The Living Daylights AND Gold Finger, we got the lot, pretty much. Can’t lie, was kinda wanting Madonna’s Die Another Day, BUT, it’s only an hours show, I get it, and it wasn’t the most popular Bond song around (Just ask Elton John ’bout that!)

“Oliver John brings a different flavour – textured, grounded and slightly dangerous in tone…”
Markus Hamence

Musically, it’s tight. Solomon (on three instruments), Hawke and Waller – the band sits in that sweet spot between jazz lounge and cinematic score, giving everything a sense of polish without ever feeling overproduced. There’s space in the arrangements – room for breath, for tension, for that signature Bond slow-burn to actually unfold.

What really lands is the atmosphere. Not over-the-top, not forced – just cool in that effortless way. The lighting, the pacing, the way the performers hold the room… it all clicks into a vibe that feels both classic and current. You’re not being told to feel something – you just do.

And somewhere along the way, these songs shift. They stop being tied to the films and start standing on their own again. Lyrics hit differently. Melodies feel sharper. It becomes less about remembering Bond and more about rediscovering why the music mattered in the first place.

This one doesn’t rely on spectacle – it relies on style, precision, and presence. And honestly, that’s far more powerful.

A sharp, late-night kind of show that hums with quiet confidence and leaves a lasting impression long after the final note.

Fingers crossed for an encore show soooooooon!