Billy Ocean - Live Bristol Music Review
Posted on: 2017-04-27
Our rating:
Ocean hit the city's stage as part of his current international tour to celebrate the release of his most recent, hugely successful compilation, Here You Are: The Best of Billy Ocean, which is actually his highest charting album since 1989.
When the going gets tough, the tough - or, in this instance, the city's die-hard Billy Ocean fanbase - cram themselves in to Bristol's Colston Hall, just as they did on Wednesday 26th April when the legendary singer/songwriter performed to his enthusiastically exuberant acolytes for an evening of classic songs.
Reaching the pinnacle of his success and hitting the heights of popularity during the 1970s and 80s, the Trinidadian-born recording artist - real name Leslie Charles, fact fans - struck the big time by racking up six UK and US Top 10 singles, an impressive three Platinum albums, a Grammy award and worldwide sales of over 30 million albums.
Warm-up came in the form of British saxophonist Yolanda Brown who, backed by a quartet of accomplished musicians, ramped up the cool factor and already spirited vibe with a a set of reggae songs and covers that demonstrated her stunning ability on the instrument. To her self-proclaimed 'posh reggae', her fingers danced with effortless, liquid ease with a controlled, assured, upbeat performance that ended with a smile-inducing, reggae-infused version of Hey Jude.
But this was just - admittedly top-notch and hugely entertaining - filler for the big-time headline act, Billy Ocean. And when the man himself finally strolled on to the stage, the excited multitudes ensured the already palpably joyous, expectant atmosphere transmogrified into something absolutely, discernibly electric. The adoring, cheering fans went ballistic, and for the next hour-and-forty-five minutes, Ocean proved he's a performer still very much at the top of his game.
Ocean's career has spawned some of the greatest songs in modern music history, and the gig was a joyous, groovy ride through a compendium of hits. Supported by an 8-piece backing group comprising singers and instrumentalists, age has certainly not diminished the man's effortless cool, dressed as he was in impeccably dapper attire and treating the crowd to occasional slick, signature dance moves as he sang to the revering multitudes for the capacity concert.
(1).jpg "Colston Hall")
And it was a jukebox of exactly the crowd-pleasing songs you'd expect, including The Colour of Love; Red Light Spells Danger; Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car; and When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going. With an impressive - occasionally blinding - light display of flashing bulbs and multi-coloured illuminations, Ocean segued breezily from one song to the other, broken up with occasional interjections of audience banter and bonhomie.
He might be 67 but this King of Soul still packs one hell of a vocal punch and brims with the same kind of charming, effervescent energy he possessed back in the 1970s and 80s. In fact, he could put the majority of modern pop wannabes to shame with his stage presence, gravitas and sheer unassailable musical mojo. Cool riffs, funky grooves and love ballads aplenty ensured the hyper, awed collective were on their feet singing and dancing in the aisles for the majority of the set.
Finishing with the classic Caribbean Queen, Billy Ocean affirmed his position as undisputed R&B pop royalty. His gig at Colston Hall was a nostalgic one-night stand with a musical master and singer/songwriter par excellence; a solid, exemplary, massively entertaining rendering of timeless hits by a modern musical icon who's supremely talented, magnetic and cooler than a penguin's knackers. Fantastic.
5/5
Article by:
Jamie is a writer, blogger, journalist, critic, film fan, soundtrack nerd and all-round Bristolian good egg. He loves the music of Philip Glass, the art of Salvador Dali, the writings of Charles Bukowksi and Hunter S Thompson, the irreverence of Harry Hill, and the timeless, straw-chomping exuberance of The Wurzels. You can sometimes find him railing against a surging tide of passing cyclists, or gorging himself senseless on the Oriental delights of a Cosmos all-you-can-eat buffet.
