Empress of Soul delivers only high notes in rare Chch concert
Gladys Knight Christchurch Town Hall, February 15 Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd
It is more than 20 years since Gladys Knight, the ‘‘Empress of Soul’’, did a concert tour in this part of the world but it was clear she has many ardent fans here as many of them were on their feet before she had sung a note.
During 50 years in showbiz Knight has not only been a seven-time Grammy winner for pop, gospel and R&B but has also appeared in film and television, as well as giving countless live performances across the globe.
Backed by a rocking six-piece band and three stunning backing singers at the Christchurch Town Hall on Saturday, Knight delivered all her hits in a show that lasted over an hour and a half.
The opening Love Overboard was a hard-hitting funk number that set the bar high, and was quickly followed by The Nitty Gritty – Knight firmly establishing that not only is she cool but also still has an amazing set of pipes.
The hits came thick and fast – Stay With Me, Licence to Kill, In the Still of the Night, I Heard it Through the Grapevine – the latter starting off as a laid-back ballad before revving up into full-blown gospel. I loved I’ve Got to
Use my Imagination for much the same reason, building from a low driving start to a really punchy groove.
Knight gave us some nice moments of repose and poignancy too, with I Would If I Could and The Way We Were. Part Time Love was soulful and Don’t Stay Away from Me Too Long gave male backing singer Ray a chance to shine, doing so again with a tribute to James Ingram in One Hundred Ways. Fellow singers Portia and Alexis impressed when they had their brief solos, forming a tightly knit group throughout.
A real highlight was the a capella bracket that launched the finale – so powerful as it developed.
Given what she has achieved, Knight is remarkably humble and down-to-earth, always acknowledging her roots, her family and her faith and utterly at home with her fans.
Her stories tended to go over the same ground but her love of doing what she does shone through, her energy, sense of fun and joy carrying her through to the final song, the hit Midnight Train to Georgia, which had everyone on their feet – a great sight given the senior demographic.