Here are a couple of reviews from last night’s gig as featured in today’s press –
Knight strains to capture Aretha’s soul
By André Paine, Evening Standard 12.04.07
“Anybody heard of Aretha Franklin?” asked Beverley Knight mid-way through her comeback show. “She could sing her arse off – but tonight I’m going to do it!”
As it turned out, that was a pretty accurate description of her 60-minute set. Yet, while Knight’s voice was technically brilliant and her appreciation of classic soul was never in doubt, her performance didn’t always move you as much as it should have done.
This show was a preview of Knight’s new album, Music City Soul, recorded in Nashville with musicians who have worked with Elvis and Al Green.
The results of those sessions on display last night were generally positive: a gospel-tinged disavowal of the slick but hollow R&B currently emanating from the US.
The band, including a horn section and trio of backing singers, were able but often appeared slightly cowed by her pummelling voice. Crucially, the audience loved it, loudly applauding the opening No Man’s Land, a full-throated torch song that’s also her new single.
That reaction appeared to be validation for Knight, who was recently awarded the MBE for services to music and charity. On this performance, it could just as easily have been for giddy enthusiasm, as she could barely contain herself during After You and a sultry reworking of the hit Shoulda Woulda Coulda.
In fact, the 34-year-old from Wolverhampton was sometimes not unlike a suggestive aunty, instructing those at the back to get away with more fun “because I can’t see you”. And when she went from describing herself as “black butter” in one song to “gold” in the next, you did wonder where else she was going to go looking for metaphors about love and sex.
In fact, she turned to Janis Joplin’s Piece of My Heart, which was decent enough. But it was her cover of Aretha Franklin’s Rock Steady, where she combined brilliantly with her band, that got the audience dancing.
That was one of a couple of occasions during the evening where Knight undoubtedly had real soul. The rest of the performance, however, was professional and compelling, but never quite unique.
Nearly An Early Night
By Luke Blackall, The London Paper 12.04.07
The show almost didn’t go on for Beverley Knight last night. The singer showed up for an intimate showcase of her new material at teh Bloomsbury Ballrooms, but found her path blocked at the door by an over-eager security guard.
After battling him for five minutes to convince him that she was the show, the burly bouncer lifted his arm. When she finally got on stage, the singer belted out a combination of her old material, her new single ‘No Man’s Land’ and some covers of Aretha Franklin and Rolling Stones hits to a celebrity-filled audience including Jason Orange, June Sarpong and Skin from Skunk Anansie. It was all a bit loud for show designer Jimmy Choo, however, who had to put his fingers in his ears. Thankfully, Beverley had no difficulty getting into her raucous after party at Mo’Vida nightclub.
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Evening Standard ‘Knight strains to capture Aretha’s soul’
The London Paper ‘Nearly An Early Night’ (Scan)
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