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Taken from Chronicle Live (June 13, 2017)

Chaka Khan Newcastle O2 Academy review: Our verdict on the singer’s return to the city

Chaka Khan puts in a powerhouse performance at the O2 Academy Newcastle but one of her biggest hits was missing, writes Anthony Hendon

by chroniclelive.co.uk



Chaka Khan, who is coming to the O2 Academy Newcastle. (Photo: Publicity Picture)


As one of her best-known songs informs us, she’s every woman; it’s all in her.


And it would have been easy to believe Chaka Khan had more pairs of lungs than just her own at her disposal as she delivered a powerhouse vocal performance at the O2 Academy in Newcastle .


The star’s arrival was heralded by some suitably rousing drumming after the crowd had been warmed up nicely by a set of classic disco and soulful pop by an energetic DJ.


Sporting her trademark luxuriant mane – these days brown and longer than ever – and backed by three very able backing singers, the 64-year-old star focused on her 1970s output early on, performing funky songs such as Do You Love What You Feel?, Tell Me Something Good and I’m A Woman in an impressively high register.


Khan certainly wasn’t afraid to let rip, but the less-than-perfect acoustics of the venue meant that the words were often drowned out by her sheer power – certainly for those at the back – and her speech was all but inaudible.


She left the stage mysteriously a few times early on – seemingly to have some problem rectified – but by her fourth and fifth numbers, You’ve Got The Love and Everlasting Love, she seemed to be really enjoying herself, as well as the performances of her guitarists and fellow singers.


What Cha Gonna Do For Me allowed Khan to show a more subtle side to her vocal abilities and made me think it wouldn’t have been a bad thing if she’d turned the volume down on herself a little bit more over the course of the evening.


It was followed by the only true ballad of the evening – Love Me Still – and this proved to be a real highlight. Even through the hubbub of the Academy, you got the impression this song really meant something to her.


Her performance of Through The Fire was a reminder of what a good song this American hit from the 1980s is, and this was followed by a version of Stay, which was a jazzy tour de force.


As might be expected, however, the place truly came alive for I’m Every Woman. The years fell away completely as Khan delivered her 1978 anthem brilliantly and produced a truly special experience. I got the impression the Newcastle crowd could have listened – and danced – to it a lot longer than they got to.


Perhaps surprisingly, there was no I Feel For You, but Ain’t Nobody – in my view one of Khan’s very best songs – was her one-song encore.


This one didn’t seem to suit her so well for live performance as others, though, and she seemed happy to let the crowd sing the chorus.


Of course, they were more than willing to.



 
 

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