“The time has come for me/To break out of the shell/I have to shout/That I’m coming out/I want the world to know/Got to let it show”…having passionately waxed lyrical in these very pages about The Vines, Snow Patrol and Kings Of Leon over the last few months, I was slightly surprised to find myself heading towards The Point for a Diana Ross gig. I was even more surprised to find myself enjoying the hell out of it. Yes, dear readers, I’ve outed myself as a Diana Ross fan.
Tonight Ross is, in her own words, “going right back to the beginning”. Mercifully, this means a succession of Motown medleys, including ‘You Can’t Hurry Love’, ‘Reflections’, ‘Love Hangover’, ‘Baby Love’ and ‘Stop In The Name of Love’.
The woman herself, with several dresses that a billion maribou birds died to create and a star aura that can be seen from outer space, is a veritable musical powerhouse. She may delicately flick her comically coiffed ’do and teeter about the stage softly, yet it’s pretty easy to see how Ms. Ross has earned her stripes as one of Motown’s omnipotent institutions. Makes you wonder whether Beyoncé will still be doing it in 50 years time…
Ultimately, tonight’s gig, with its fun gay disco/country wedding vibe, is right up there with Muse as one of the shows of the year so far.
No, I never thought I’d ever hear myself say that either.