Skip to content
Elly Roberts reviews
Stay: 
Greatest Hits:
Last Saturday, Simply Red frontman Mick Hucknalltook his stripped-down band (five piece) for an intimate showcase at ManchestersLife Café.
This highly anticipated gig in front of 300 fans was a big success, for thefather to be. Choosing a new format to give us a taste of forthcoming albumStay out in March, (theres no plan for a biggie tour in 2007)Manchesters very own blue-eyed soulster threw everything he had to hisadoring fanbase.
With the tension physically palpable, there was an air of high expectation asHucknall revisited his roots in front of a distinctly club type in-your-faceaudience. With a short set of eight songs and coming on at 7.40, it was alwaysgoing to be a bit of a whirlwind set.
Instruments were neatly packed onto the tiny stage it looked like it wasgoing to be pretty tight for everyone, which added to the splendour of thisunique occasion.
The band came first to huge applause. Wheres Hucknall we all thought?
Ah, of course. Big entrance for the star. After a brief silence all eyesturned to the stage door. Out he came – looking fit and immaculate. His hairsgrown the goatees still there, and the sideburns are pretty long as well.Screams and cheers engulfed the basement venue whilst he braced himself forthe evenings task.
After brief pleasantries, the awesome and ever improving voice slipped intoaction on The World And You Tonight, first song on the sampler CD Idreceived before the gig. It was well received he was just warming upreally this was familiar territory.
The ladies at the front couldnt believe their eyes (or their luck) he wasinches away from them – and they reminded him after every song. This, myfourteenth Simply Red gig, brought a new insight into Hucknalls stagepersona. Normally miles from the crowd, we saw a relaxed and confident starcasually engaging with the fans on a cosy level plenty of banter and plentyof humour too a real revelation in many ways.
Next up was new single: melancholic ballad So Not Over You notexactly the best choice for a single – nevertheless they loved it when hesaid, “Youll be hearing this on the airwaves quite soon.”– Scream, scream, cheers, cheers. He couldnt go wrong.
Then came the strongest song of the night Stay a nice slice ofsophisticated urban-soul-pop: his forte. The band were on a silky oomph surprising what a class act can do with just five brilliant musicians behindhim the sound quality was incredible.They Dont Know, with a magnificent blast from Ian Kirkhams EWI, andkeys-man Dave Clayton, they lifted the atmosphere even higher.
Hucknall and co were now firing on all cylinders. With the arrival of previoussingle Oh! What A Girl!, a gritty Salsa-flavoured gem, the partyatmosphere took flight with major bouts of dancing as Huckers ripped up thestage.
Tribal bass and drums introduced Good Times Have Done Me Wrong, oneof the beefiest songs in years, kept the pace intact, with guitarist KenjiJammer Suzuki giving his first major solo break. Debris, a FacesB-side of Stay With Me was a peculiar choice – it was a favourite fromhis youth.
A quick swig of H2O, and a sweaty Hucknall delivered loungy-jazz Lady,with the ladies reaching for quick touch on the hands as he got up close.
“And the now the time has come”, he lamented. “Home is a placewhere I belong”, as an emotional Mick launched into Home.
With tears in his eyes, he left us with, “Beautiful. Ladies and gentlemen,Simply Red. Thank you so much. Good night”.
Dashing for the stage door, I gave my right hand to congratulate him. “Niceone Mick,” I said as he grabbed my hand, “Brilliant.”
Looking me straight in the eye, he said “Thanks”, and he was gone.There was no hope of an encore: it didnt matter. Job well done.
In the crowd was Everton manager David Moyes and his wife (right). Moyes enthusedwith, “Enjoyed it very much. It was the first chance to see him in concert.”
Single So Not Over You is out March 5, available on two CDs, featuringmust-have B-sides.
Album, Stay available on simplyred.com on March 12.
Weblink:simplyred.com
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.