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Dionne Warwick

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London Palladium
Argyll Street, W1F 7TF

Evening Standard rating John Aizlewood's rating
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Description: The soulful ballad and pop singer performs songs from her back catalogue as well as new album, Why We Sing.


Phone: 0207087 7599
Website: www.londontheatre.co.uk

Trains: Tube: Oxford Circus Overground network

 
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Bonkers but oddly inspired life story

By John Aizlewood, Evening Standard  04.02.08
 
Dionne Warwick

Dionne Warwick: A feisty, ego-driven raconteur

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How, then, is a revered singer with a rich back catalogue but nothing of note for more than 20 years to approach a concert?

Simple: tell her life story (including the infomercial years, but not, alas, the drugs bust and tax difficulties) and intersperse it with her hits and songs that her major songwriters, Burt Bacharach and Hal David, first gave to others.

Time is catching up with the 67-year-old and not merely because a damaged ankle rendered her almost immobile.

She forgot the words to I Say a Little Prayer and her percussionist's name when she introduced her dowdy eight-piece band, which found room for three keyboardists but no lead guitar player.

Her voice, though, was in fine fettle, especially during sparkling arrangements of that sugar-coated lament for butchered dreams, Do You Know the Way to San Jose? and a gorgeous (Theme From) Valley of the Dolls, while even the lumpen Bee Gees schlock that is Heartbreaker benefited from a brisk makeover.

Although she told her tale in the third person, Warwick's speaking voice was as mesmerising as her singing and she proved a feisty, ego-driven raconteur, blessed with comedy timing and unafraid to castigate Bacharach and David.

The show and Warwick's aural autobiography ended with 1986's That's What Friends Are For. The last 22 years? They never happened. Bonkers but oddly inspired.

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Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.

 

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This was the sixth time I had seen Dionne in concert over the past twenty years, and she is indeed sounding as good as ever.

However, I really couldn't work out what was going on with the dress. She and her band ambled on stage just after 7.30pm and they really looked like they would rather be anywhere else in the world, but on that stage. Then Dionne appeared, wearing a pair of jeans and a baggy blue sweat shirt. I honestly thought she was the cleaner at first! I wonder if their suitcases were lost at the airport and a frantic dash to Primark was needed seconds before the show!

Nevertheless, the music was outstanding, the atmosphere was great and we all had a great time listening to her life story and hearing all the great hits sung so beautifully.

The suitcases were clearly located during the interval, as Dionne appeared looking spectacular in evening dress - -her band had even dressed up too!

- Richard P, London


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