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John Aizlewood's rating
Simply irresistable
By
John Aizlewood
25 May 2007
Twenty-two years after his first hit, Simply Red's Mick Hucknall still has the common touch and not merely in the chav-style chunky bracelet that adorned his wrist and the Steptoe outfit he somehow thought was suitable stage attire, unless he was dressed in a grubby T-shirt and gardening jeans for a bet, in which case an already wealthy man will be significantly richer this morning.
No, Mick Hucknall's common touch spotted that an evening going nowhere after nine mostly new songs could be turned around by a simple man-of-the people gesture. "Stewards," he announced, part-Marie Antoinette, part-working men's club compere, "let them take photos if they want." Suddenly, in one electric moment the atmosphere was transformed. A steady stream of doughty matrons made their way down the aisles (two even launched separate stage invasions) to take photographs and Hucknall had proved that for all his on-stage awkwardness, he's one of our more canny customers.
Yet, common touch or not, Hucknall still has a most uncommon voice. It remains a thing of gorgeous wonder, whether reinventing Holding Back The Years as a stately samba, belting out his best lyric ("I love the thought of coming home to you") on Fairground or being surprisingly funky on the evergreen Money's Too Tight To Mention. Another decade and he'll be a national treasure.
• Tonight and 26, 27, 30, 31 May. Information: 020 7589 8212, http://tickets. royalalberthall.com.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Reader views (2)
Was there last night and am still buzzing from it all! Yes it was pretty slow to get going but once we reached 'Thrill Me' - an old favourite from the phenomonal Stars album - everyone was up on their feet, dancing and singing and having a fantastic time. By the time we got three cracking encores the atmosphere was RED hot and the roof was in danger of collapsing when the whole audience joined in the chorus of the finale - 'If You Don't Know Me By Now'.
Well, if you don't know Mick and Simply Red by now, get down to the Royal Albert Hall and see if you can get lucky with any returned tickets. They're as rare as the proverbial hen's teeth but worth every penny (or pound?) You won't be disappointed. And if you're already going maybe I'll see you there. Yes I'm doing it all again tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday! Can never have too much of a good thing - and boy is this good! SIMPLY THE BEST.
- Jenny Connell, Colchester UK, 25/05/2007 15:27
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I have to admit to not being a die hard Simply Red fan, but my partner is, and for her birthday I secured tickets 5 rows from the front, centre stage last night. We were treated to a fantastic event, with 'proper' musicians, a complete lack of special effects and most importantly a singer who can hypnotise his audience with a single glance. Mick has a unique approach to song writing, singing and performing. When a mistake meant a restart of one song, he openly spoke to the crowd admitting it was his fault, a gesture which brought him down to our level. The 'let them take photos' pleased everyone in the room, except possibly the odd critic, oh and the head steward, but let's face it, th epeople in the room were paying him and unlike many snotty 'pop stars', he both recognises it and appreciates it. After his usual, on form, performance, his closing comment was "thank you for sticking with us all these years", aww, how can anyone have a problem with that?
- James Boyce, Brentwood UK, 25/05/2007 15:09
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