For a man in the autumn of his years, Al Green showed no signs of slowing down.
He worked tirelessly to hand out dozens of roses, he’s still got the dance moves and above all else the showmanship that made his live shows a spectacle in the 70s.
As usual many of the crowd came for the classic tracks and they weren’t disappointed, with the likes of ‘Let’s stay together’ and ‘I’m so tired of being alone’ being played with such soul and heart.
Despite the nostalgia on show, we were also treated to some newer material. Now, usually the new songs of our beloved generational artists are a foot note that are a dull segway between the hits or even the chance to nip to the loo, but not tonight as accompanied by a superb band they stood up right next to his classics.
He even found time to bolster the soul extravaganza with snippets of The Four Tops – I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch), The Temptations – My Girl, Otis Reading (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay and Diana Ross – You’re my Everything, much to delight to the crowd who sang and danced along throughout.
From the clever microphone play that hyped up the crowd with his loud and quiet vocals, to his remarkable vocal range – Al Green held the audience throughout. The overall show had a real gospel and evangelical church vibe, leaving everyone upbeat and cheery despite no encore and only 1 hour 15 on stage. Regardless of that nobody could attest to the nostalgic blast from the past we’d all seen, and with so many of the past masters now retired or dead tonight was a rare chance to capture a touch of class.
