Afternoon:
14°c
The Evening Standard demands an end to the practice of burying children and babies in mass paupers’ graves
More...
It’s Day’s night, and no one is going to spoil her story
A Sentimental Journey
Film
This is a shocking, replenishing film, not to be missed
Green Zone
Restaurants
It is great that Bruno Loubet is back — and at prices that are eminently fair
Bistro Bruno Loubet
The action and direction are superb and the acting good, but the plot is so pathetic it defies belief
Wonderful - beautifully acted and gloriously funny, particularly Simon Russell Beale and Fiona Shaw
Probably the most important photography exhibition london has ever seen
London,
Critic rating
Reader rating
Description: The soulful pop vocalist plays tracks from his album The Reason.
Phone: 0844844 4748
Website: www.hammersmithapollo.net
Email: info@hammersmithapollo.net
Trains: Tube: Hammersmith 
Extra info: Pub
Soul show: Lemar's rich vocals took centre stage
Considering Lemar is one of the few TV-spawned pop stars to have carved out a recording career lasting longer than the average pregnancy, it was perhaps unsurprising that TV featured heavily in his live show.
No fewer that eight screens adorned the stage, and the show began with a montage of clips of the Fame Academy runner-up receiving numerous awards. Why does an audience who have paid £25 for a ticket with his name on it need an introduction to the star of the show? Is this all part of some grand scheme to big up Lemar as a soul superstar in waiting?
It seemed that way when he emerged out of the darkness on a raised platform, complete with P Diddy-esque suit, scowl and shades, as police sirens flashed on the screens around him.
Quite an entrance, but the true star of the show, as ever, was the warm, rich soul voice that got him noticed in the first place. His songs have a touch of class too - they have that instant familiarity that comes from echoing classic soul songs without actually plagiarising them - notice the hints of Walk On By in If There's Any Justice, for instance.
His adoring, female fans were out of their seats from the first song, encouraged by some tidy dance moves on more funky tunes like Soulman and Tick Tock. His crowd interaction also worked a treat. It was only when he tried to sex things up that he seemed a little too British to quite convince.
Is some misguided soul looking to "rebrand" Lemar as a bumping, grinding lurve god in the R Kelly mould?
During Beauty Queen he picked a crowd member to come up on stage and be serenaded as he stripped down to his six pack before they disappeared behind a screen and we saw their shadows slow dancing suggestively.
Yet there was something tentative about Lemar's body language that suggested he's yet to truly get in touch with his inner Theophilus P. Wildebeeste. He looked more like he was stripping off for a stint in the gym.
The highlights of the show ended up being the heartfelt love songs - a spellbinding Caroline delivered solo on piano, the melancholic Your Face and the aforementioned If There's Any Justice.
Lemar is clearly very good at singing from the heart. Do we really need to bring his groin into it?
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
