ShareSeal performing his Standards 2018 Tour at The Royal Concert Hall Nottingham on Monday 19th February 2018.
Images and Review by Kevin Cooper
Seal took to the Royal Concert Hall stage last night to promote his latest album, Standards and to perform his take on some old time classics.
With a stage packed with vintage retro theatre spotlights, bathed in a warm violet light, Seal, tall and imposing, dressed casually in black opened with Luck Be A Lady Tonight.
In a career spanning three decades, and racking up over 30 million record sales worldwide, this Grammy, Brit and Ivor Novello award winner enchanted the crowd with his velvety voice. I Put A Spell On You showcased his raw and gravelly vocals, although the high notes did pose a challenge.
Ably assisted by a very tight band and the use of backing tapes to bring the music to life, he masterfully delivered Gershwins They Can’t Take That Away From Me and Cole Porter’s I’ve Got You Under My Skin. Pouring his soul into Rodgers & Hart’s My Funny Valentine, this 30s show tune emerged as a fans favourite as they applauded the brilliant trumpet soloist.
But it was his 90s hits that some audience members had been shouting for which received the biggest reception, and he did not disappoint as Kiss For A Rose mesmerised the crowd, and Future Love Paradise with its pounding immense bass changed the tone of the show completely.
With the opening chords to Killer, the audience were on their feet for the first time, and as Seal launched himself from the stage and entered the crowd, singing the song standing on someone’s chair in the middle of the stalls, he caused a female frenzy.
Closing with Fly Like An Eagle, an impromptu Move On Up and Life On The Dance Floor, it was Crazy which brought the evening to an end. Seal had definitely brought the glamour of old Hollywood straight to Nottingham, but it was his own songs that had brought the house down.
