Image Credit: PRESS

This was no ordinary concert by Beverley Knight, especially as it took place on her home turf. Wolverhampton through and through, she proudly explained that her Born To Perform tour was, in many ways, for those who remembered her appearance on This Is Your Life. The show unfolded like a musical biography, interspersed with fascinating and often funny stories about the trials she faced, of which there were a few, and the triumphs that shaped her career. Above all, what came across was that Beverley Knight is an incredibly determined woman with one heck of a voice. The first few tracks I had never heard before, including a fantastic gospel song, ‘Were You There When They Crucified the Lord?’ by Sam Cooke, with very classy staging. The sound was outstanding; luckily this was being filmed for some future release.

Due to the very unusual nature of this tour, the big hits that would be normally kept to the end of the concert, like, ‘Shoulda Coulda Woulda’ and ‘Come As You Are’, made early appearances. In between we had some Chaka Khan and Prince songs and some of the big hits from the West End shows, Cats, The Bodyguard, and Sister Act, showing just how versatile she is. And this included an unbelievable rendition of ‘Memory’ from Cats, wow.

The format really brought to life the things and mindset that make a star, and Beverley Knight IS a star, no doubt about it. And with her versatility, she will be able to continue to excel and entertain people for a long, long time to come.

Review by Geoff & Jenny Griffe