Alison Moyet performing her Other Tour at The Royal Concert Hall Nottingham on Sunday 26th November 2017.
Images and Review by Kevin Cooper
Beginning her career back in 1982 as one half of the synth pop duo Yazoo, for Alison Moyet it seems appropriate that her sound has almost come full circle to once again return to the world of electronica, and it was a packed Royal Concert Hall who had turned out to witness it.
Forty years after she wrote her first songs and thirty five since she became one of the nation’s favourite unlikely pop stars, Moyet has learnt to embrace the Other, the title of her current album as she showed that she still has a timeless, unique voice that is still relevant to any decade that she chooses to sing in where people respect individuality and passion.
The Royal Concert Hall dropped to darkness and the crowd were mesmerised as the monologue from April 10th pierced the darkness and began a pure piece of theatre. The stage was sparse, with just two keyboards played by John Garden and Shaun McGhee who were mostly kept in the dark, leaving the stage to the most relatable diva, who has always been blessed with a big voice, but a down to earth and less than slick stage presence.
From her new album there was I Germinate, a loving dedication to her mother who passed away from Alzheimer’s two years ago with the lovely The English U, and highlighting the wonderful sultry tone of her voice which remains undiminished by time was The Rarest Birds.
With the audience eager to hear her 80s hits, the capacity crowd were rewarded with all the pristine synth pop singles from her Yazoo days. Their 1982 hit Only You was the first track to get the crowd on their feet and they stayed there to applaud Nobody’s Diary.
With a stunning version of All Cried Out, Moyet kept the nostalgic old school fans happy and on penultimate Yazoo song Situation, she stopped the band to get the audience to tell her the exact words, and then started again. Happily, this uncharacteristic flub brings people to their feet, before she finishes the set with a fabulous Love Resurrection.
Back on for an encore of Whispering Your Name and Don’t Go, Moyet had been at times exuberant, at times moving but most of all one of Britain’s most iconic artists had really delivered her soulful electronica.