Lulu at RNCM
LULU
ON FIRE TOUR
Lulu, British pop’s most enduring diva, is currently touring the UK with a show that chronologically covers each of her six (yes SIX) decades in music, from the swinging 60s to the present. The result is a beautifully put together retrospective providing a feast of nostalgia for fans old and new.
As a back screen played clips of her many career highlights, Lulu sang some of her most famous songs, many given a fresh new arrangement. To Sir With Love, Man Who Sold The World, The Boat That I Row, Relight My Fire and, of course, Shout were all present and correct interspersed with Bee Gees, Beatles and Bowie anecdotes and tales of Take That and Eurovision.
From rock to disco, Boom Bang A Bang to James Bond Lulu’s done it all. The bluesier, rockier numbers are clearly a particular passion but she also acknowledged a debt to some of the poppier hits performing a tongue in cheek rendition of her Eurovision winner as well as ramping up the camp factor with The Man With The Golden Gun bringing extra fun to the evening.
Her love of music and performing was evident from the very first note to the last. Her voice soared and got even stronger as the show progressed. An excellent five piece band also provided pitch perfect backing vocals for an artist whose sheer exuberance illuminated a packed RNCM theatre.
Out of many musical highlights, the touching Where The Poor Boys Dance received an especially enthusiastic response as did a rousing encore of the lyrically appropriate I’m Still Standing.
She mentioned several times how lucky she’s been. This may be true but it also takes drive and sheer talent to last 55 years in such an incredibly fickle business. The sheer joy and energy she exuded as she performed and connected with the audience more than backed up her claim that she was born to do this.
As a very satisfied audience left, I overheard someone say ‘it’s brilliant that she still does this because she doesn’t have to’. The fact that she WANTS to is something we can hopefully ‘Shout’ about for many more years to come.
Drew Tosh for Canal St Online.
Published: 17-Oct-2019 (5607)
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