Craig shows off his many talents

Craig David, Cardiff Motorpoint Arena

CRAIG David opened his UK tour with a bang. The R&B legend took to the stage with a huge amount of energy – singing much-loved classics from Fill Me In to Seven Days, as well as recent tracks such as When the Bassline Drops and Change My Love.

Craig was clearly overwhelmed by the crowd that cheered him on from start to finish – the Motorpoint Arena was packed full of fans, both old and new.

The singer said he had waited 16 years for the moment to perform in front of so many dedicated fans.

Even though his music is commonly associated with early Noughties nostalgia, there is a lot more to the artist than the stereotypes. Throughout the show he made it clear that he could not only sing, but rap, entertain, DJ and create a true party atmosphere.

As he performed Rise and Fall – a track that was originally released as a duet with Sting – the crowd could clearly hear the lengths of his vocal range.

But he did a lot more than simply sing his best-loved hits. By injecting snips of rap into verse, and covering songs such as Justin Bieber’s Love Yourself, Craig showed that he knew how to work a crowd and showcase his many talents.

After performing some of his most acclaimed tracks the artist took to the decks. He wanted to bring the “party atmosphere” to the arena – and that he most certainly did.

The performer kicked off his DJ set by performing Rewind, and this is when the party truly began. The atmosphere was electric and there was nothing to do but dance and soak up all the energy.

He mixed a number of chart hits from over the years, ranging from TLC’S No Scrubs to Robin S’s Show Me Love.

During the set, he also incorporated some of his own tracks, and was joined on stage by the Big Narstie.

Throughout the show Craig spoke of how wonderful it is to have fans of different generations enjoying, and engaging with, his music.

He concluded the evening by performing a remix of Fill Me In.

It was the perfect end to a show that left the crowd begging for more.

Katie-Ann Gupwell