Bruno Mars is that increasingly rare thing: a teen idol with a genuine sense of musicality and artistry, a black American pop performer influenced by classic soul, funk and jazz, rather than hip-hop or dance. A record company’s dream too. He can sing like he was born to be on stage, his velvety, soulful voice effortlessly gliding across memorable tunes, while his dance moves are no less impressive. To top that, the Hawaiian born singer-songwriter, currently enjoying major UK album and singles success, comes across as a genuinely nice guy who appreciates his current popularity. Of course he’s also blessed with striking good looks, hence the preponderance of young females in the audience who, when not screaming every time he strutted towards the edge of the stage, sang along to every word of every song.
Combining elements of Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye and Bob Marley with a bit of Terence Trent D’arby, the songs from his debut, Doo-Wops And Hooligans are varied enough to keep the interest from waning while a crack band helps keep it real (even including a snatch of Jacko’s ‘Billie Jean’ at one point in the set, lest there be any doubt as to where Mars is coming from). ‘Marry You’ channels classic Motown pop; ‘The Lazy Song’ grooves along like a stroll on Caribbean beach; and ‘Count On Me’ recalls Jack Johnson’s slacker surf, albeit in a more soulful manner
No great surprises that his breakthrough hit ‘Just The Way You Are’ elicits the most rapturous response but the arguably stronger number ‘Grenade’ is almost equally well-received, with the piano-led ballad ‘Talking To The Moon’ providing a perfectly low-key encore, cooling down the excitement a notch or too.
Much larger venues than this clearly await Mars.