Sophie Ellis-Bextor performing her Perimenopop Tour at The Royal Concert Hall Nottingham on Wednesday 28th May 2025.

Images and Review by Kevin Cooper

Sophie Ellis-Bextor was dressed for dancing and dance she did when she took to the stage at the Royal Concert Hall on Wednesday night for her first concert as an aunt.

In 2020 during the first Covid lockdown, all people can remember is isolation, masks, vaccines and Sophie Ellis-Bextor and her family dancing around her kitchen, singing her infectious songs and entertaining in a way that only she knows how.

Opening with Relentless Love and Music Gets The Best Of Me, the London born singer brought disco to the Concert Hall and a whole lot of energy and enthusiasm. With a randomiser and disco button which was brought onto the stage to choose which songs from the new album were to be given an airing, it stopped on Catch You and Dolce Vita both of which were very well received.

Hypnotized saw her dancing across the stage with pure abandonment before an acoustic Young Blood allowed her and the crowd to catch their breath. She delivered a staggeringly good version of Freemason’s Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer), whilst the infectious Get Over You had the crowd singing along.

There was a mash up of some of her hits and covers as Lady (Hear Me Tonight), Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love), Can’t Fight This Feeling and a killer version of Abba’s Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) had the euphoric crowd on their feet as they sang along.

Donna Summer’s I Feel Love left the crowd exhausted before a melancholic Like A Prayer thankfully slowed things down. Murder On The Dancefloor sent the crowd into a complete frenzy, and for the encore there was Bittersweet and an acoustic version of A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed that saw her singing amongst the crowd on the first tier.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor is always charming and fun and her next visit to Nottingham will be on 20^th July when she makes an appearance at Splendour on the Sunday on the same line-up as Kaiser Chiefs and Travis. Only a fool would under estimate her appeal, because a huge sequined attired crowd will undoubtedly be there to sing along to the Kitchen Disco Queen.

Deco, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Nile Rodgers & Chic performing at Forest Live Sherwood Pines Mansfield on Friday 21st June 2024.

Images and Review by Kevin Cooper

It was camping chairs at the ready, picnics well packed and the sun beating down for what was the first of three nights of music deep in the heart of Sherwood Pines. And on Friday night it was the turn of Nile Rodgers & Chic, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and indie pop band Deco who were tasked with entertaining a packed crowd.

Five piece band Deco have become one of the UK’s most intriguing pop acts to make an appearance in recent years. Finding themselves somewhere firmly in the middle of indie and pop, they know what they are about and they are not apprehensive to express it. Delivering some songs from their upcoming debut album due for release in September, they included some classic 80’s saxophone and led by the charismatic front man Max Kendall, they undoubtedly enjoyed ripping through their up tempo pop gems such as Photograph and Nice Car.

Deco’s energy was uplifting and a whirlwind of catchy lyrics, with infectious riffs and endless playable sounds that got the crowd jumping around. They are definitely a young band worth keeping an eye on.

With a hugely admirable career of over twenty years long, club diva Sophie Ellis-Bextor had brought some much needed musical respite throughout lockdown with her weekly Kitchen Disco sessions from her kitchen. On Friday her long perfected brand of cheery warmth went down really well with the crowd, most of whom were attired in sequins and disco inspired outfits to pay homage to her.

Opening with Alcazar’s Crying At The Discotheque, she immediately had the crowd in the palm of her hand. The Sherwood Pine’s crowd ate up her infectious happy go lucky demeanour and she kicked up a storm as she strutted across the stage and twirled in time to an assortment of disco tunes and a few key covers such as a great version of Cher’s Take Me Home.

Hypnotised saw her dancing across the stage with pure abandonment, before she delivered a medley that started with Lady (Hear Me Tonight) that led into the still awesome Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love) which segued into Can’t Fight This Feeling and was topped off with a killer version of Gimmie! Gimmie! Gimmie! (A Man After Midnight).

And with Nile Rodgers standing at the side of the stage with a huge smile on his face, foot tapping along to a cover of Madonna’s Like A Prayer which had been another Kitchen Disco favourite, she received his seal of approval. Always charming and fun there is nothing to dislike about Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who proved to be the perfect support act getting an already appreciative crowd ready for the headliners before she finished with the pop brilliance of Murder On The Dance Floor which had everyone dancing along.

Nile Rodgers & Chic were the undisputed kings of disco in the late 70’s with their deceptively simple floor fliers that packed the dance floors in clubs across the land, and as the 71 year old Rodgers walked on to the stage ahead of his very talented band, it was immediately clear that he has lost none of his enthusiasm for his craft.

Telling the crowd that he was going to deliver a short story of his life in songs, he was a shameless name dropper as he reminded the crowd of his numerous music awards. Opening with the funky disco Le Freak which was followed up with Everybody Dance, both which had the crowd on their feet where they stayed for the whole of the evening.

The formula of his set was very simple; surrounding himself with extremely talented musicians. Bassist Jerry Barnes was very impressive whilst drummer Ralph Rolle, saxophonist Brandon Wright, trumpeter Steve Janowski, keyboard players Richard Hilton and Russell Graham, along with singers Kimberly Davis and Audrey Martells completed an impressive line-up. But the real star of the show was Rodgers himself as he strutted around the stage delivering first class musicianship.

The hits just kept coming as they launched into Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah) which had the crowd singing along as did the sublime I Want Your Love. Mid set included a number of covers that began with Diana Ross’ I’m Coming Out that saw Martells vocals soar around the forest as did crowd pleaser Upside Down.

It is well known that Rodgers wrote and produced songs for Sister Sledge and it would have been remiss of him to not to include some of their songs in this set list. With Kimberly Davis taking on the vocals for The Greatest Dancer before she was joined by Martells on a powerhouse We Are Family, the energetic Lost In Music before Thinking Of You was dedicated to Bernard Edwards, the co-founder of Chic, who died in 1996.

He had the crowd transfixed with stories about how he had produced albums and singles for the likes of David Bowie, Inxs, Duran Duran and Madonna. Like A Virgin and Material Girl took the crowd on a nostalgic trip before Bowie’s Modern Love showed just how tight a band Rodgers had put together.

There was a delicious version of Daft Punk’s Get Lucky and a very upbeat Lose Yourself To Dance. There was a snatch of the funky Duran Duran’s Notorious before it was back to the Chic numbers, My Feet Keep Dancing, Chic Cheer and My Forbidden Lover.

Rodgers brought to an end a wonderful evening of music with a blistering version of Bowie’s Let’s Dance and his own Good Times that served to remind this Friday night crowd that good music will always be alive and kicking.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor performing her Christmas Kitchen Disco Tour at The Royal Concert Hall Nottingham on Saturday 9th December 2023.

Images and Review by Kevin Cooper

Sophie Ellis-Bextor brought her all singing, all dancing Christmas adaptation of her Kitchen Disco to The Royal Concert Hall on Saturday night and the lockdown glitter ball party sensation she streamed live on Instagram during the depths of the pandemic ensured that there was not a seat to be had.

With her husband, bassist Richard Jones and the band all wearing Santa hats, Christmas trees adorning the stage, and tinsel around the microphone stands, she kicked off the show with a sparkly version of Leroy Anderson and his Pops’ seasonal 1948 classic Sleigh Ride, which had the crowd up on their feet to join in with her festive celebrations.

Pitching a seamlessly ninety minute festive bonanza, she bounced around the stage and launched into the likes of Music Gets The Best Of Me, and her disco fuelled Get Over You. There was also an outing from her latest album, Hana, called Hypnotised which transitioned smoothly into another new song, A Thousand Orchids.

She switched it up again for an acoustic version of Lost In The Sunshine, which was a real highlight with the addition of the vocal harmonies and an elegant string arrangement. Never keeping still for a moment she introduced a wheel that on a spin dictated that Catch Me and Cher’s Take Me Home would entertain the crowd, before the Christmas staples, her faithful but fun take on the likes of Brenda Lee’s Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree, and Shakin’ Stevens Merry Christmas Everyone was peppered among pop standards such as a fantastic version of Madonna’s Like A Prayer.

Segueing Ibiza classic number one, Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love) into The Waitresses’ Christmas Wrapping and back again worked really well, before Crying At The Discotheque and set closer, Murder On The Dance Floor had everyone singing right back at her.

For the encore there was a cover of Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You and an incredibly beautiful version of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas accompanied by just her violinists which saw many a moist eye in the crowd.

Delivering a show where everyone in the crowd had something to enjoy, whether it be her classics, her excellent covers of outstanding tunes or her Christmas favourites, Sophie Ellis-Bextor had certainly started the festive season early.

Circa Waves, Sophie Ellis Bextor, and The Streets, performing at the Tramlines Festival Sheffield on Friday 23rd July 2021

Images and Review by Kevin Cooper

When festival season descends upon the summer, it is usual to seek out your wellies, find as much waterproof clothing as possible and prepare yourself for fun in the mud and rain. But this is no ordinary festival season; Covid-19 has seen to that. So instead of the usual preparations, this year our thoughts have been consumed with Covid vaccinations, NHS apps, Lateral Flow Testing, Covid Passes and daily health checks.

And only when those issues were satisfactorily addressed could the fun begin at this year’s Tramlines Festival, whose organisers through sheer hard work managed to deliver a line up over three days of great music and fantastic artists.

With the crowd being reminded of the unique thrill of loud live music, the Sarah Nulty’s Main Stage welcomed Circa Waves to take those first tantalising steps into a post-Covid music world. This Liverpudlian four piece have been kicking around since 2013 and have been filling summer festival slots with their breezy guitar bangers since then, and Friday afternoon was no exception.

When the band launched into their opener, Wake Up, from their 2017 album Different Creatures, there was an immediate rhythmic sea of fans jumping to the ever present bass drum beat. With front man Kieran Shudall commanding the crowd and conducting mid song mosh pits, it was as though time had stood still.

There was the high tempo poppy Young Chasers and the crowd indulged in mass sing alongs to fans favourites, Fossils and Stuck In My Teeth. Bringing a complete package of excellent fast paced alternative rock tunes, they also showcased a couple of songs from their latest album, Sad Happy, released last year. New song Jacqueline features a juddering riff whilst Be Your Drug is a heart thumping stomper.

Their whole set was pretty much a whirlwind of their usually upbeat and fast paced songs and when they ended with the song that kicked things off for them, T-Shirt Weather, the crowd showed real emotional appreciation.

Then it was a quick detour to the T’Other Stage Live to catch the set of the lockdown Queen, Sophie Ellis Bextor. During the spring of 2020 Ellis-Bextor’s kitchen became a haven of hope and optimism. Her Friday night home discos, at which her children were also heavily involved, featured lively covers of hit dance songs and jazzed up originals which became an internet sensation and cemented her in the lockdown memories of the nation. So it was absolutely fitting that she graced the stage at the Tramlines Festival.

Ellis-Bextor was dressed for dancing and dance she did. Opener Take Me Home got the crowd’s attention before Wild Forever and Over And Over had them singing along. Her songs which are indelibly linked into the deepest recesses of your memory were mashed up such as Lady (Hear Me Tonight), Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love) and Sing It Back which the crowd were happy to oblige. The infectious Get Over You stuck around long after the song had ended before she delivered a staggeringly good version of Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer).

The inevitable track closed the set; Murder On The Dance Floor, her biggest hit that charted for twenty three weeks. And as she said her farewells the crowd wholeheartedly agreed that it was great to see her live again.

Rounding up Friday’s great day of music, art, comedy and cabaret was The Streets. Front man Mike Skinner had retired the group in 2011 when he was fighting depression following the death of his father and took a hiatus to deal with his diagnosis of ME. But ten years on his garage beats and everyday working class lyricism feels as though he has never been away.

Hoping to tour the band’s latest album, their only new material since 2011, this was the perfect opportunity to treat the crowd to some songs from None Of Us Are Getting Out Of This Alive. Some of the songs were already familiar to the crowd because Skinner had streamed a concert during the pandemic to raise money for struggling artists and so there was an air of familiarity that allowed them to sing along.

As the first truly British rapper to really grab the attention of the mainstream audience it was easy to see why when he opened with the hard hitting Turn The Page with its sequence of daunting, yet harmonic synths, which was followed by another garage triumph, Let’s Push Things Forward. Skinner quickly built up immediate steam and announced The Streets musical evolutionary intent.

Don’t Mug Yourself saw him fling a few scratches on the decks before he looped into the speed garage anthem before he slowed things down with Never Went To Church, a heartfelt tribute to his late father.

There was the moody Everything Is Borrowed, the sombre pop ballad Dry Your Eyes and Blinded By The Light left everybody humbled. Tracks from their latest album such as Freedom Day, Call My Phone Thinking I’m Doing Nothing Better and I Wish You Loved You As Much As You Love Him were obviously affected by Skinner’s pandemic experience and with the crowd screaming appreciation of mega hit Fit But You Know It, the space was filled with everyone joyously singing and jumping up and down.

Finishing the set with new song Take Me As I Am, Skinner opened a bottle of champagne and saluted the crowd. It was hard to decide who was more pleased to be at Tramlines but certainly Skinner’s smile lit up the stage.

Sophie Ellis Bextor performing The Song Diaries Tour at The Royal Concert Hall Nottingham on Tuesday 4th June 2019

Images and Review by Kevin Cooper

Sophie Ellis Bextor played Nottingham’s Splendour Festival last year and very nearly stole the show from headliner Paloma Faith, but last night at the Royal Concert Hall, this was no Splendour performance.

Touring in support of her latest ’orchestral greatest hits’ album, The Song Diaries, she took to the stage with her thirty piece orchestra, and opened with her big production number Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love).

Dressed in a flimsy green dress and a sequinned cape she explained that the concert would be like an “orchestral recital and Studio 54”, and that was the problem. Delivering a first half that consisted primarily of her biggest hits, reworked with orchestral arrangements, the songs were drowned out by violins, violas, cellos and sometimes brass so that in truth, one song sounded very much the same as another.

There was Young Blood, Not Giving Up On Love and Music Gets The Best Of Me which all served to showcase her excellent vocals, before she brought the orchestral part of her set to a close with the lovely Bittersweet.

For the Studio 54 part of the show her regular band, which includes husband and member of The Feeling, Richard Jones, joined her and the orchestra on stage.

And at last there was something to sing and dance about as Take Me Home brought this audience to their feet and with classic dance floor fillers such as Young Hearts Run Free and Don’t Leave Me This Way interspersed with her own hits Get Over You and the fans favourite Murder On The Dance Floor, the evening had been rescued.

At just 90 minutes long this set felt like it had finished just as it was getting into its groove, and as the end came with not another foot stomping number but a stripped back acoustic version of A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed, sung from the first tier balcony backed by two violinists, many fans were left wanting. Sorry Sophie, no Blue Peter badge on this occasion.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor, a British singer and songwriter, chats with Kevin Cooper about being a mum to her five boys, recording her songs with a full orchestra, her latest album The Song Diaries and her forthcoming tour of the UK.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor is a British singer and songwriter. She first came to prominence in the late 1990s, as the lead singer of the indie rock band Theaudience. After the group disbanded, Ellis-Bextor went solo, achieving widespread success in the early 2000s. Her music is a mixture of mainstream pop, disco, nu-disco, and 1980s electronic influences.

Her solo debut album, Read My Lips, was released in 2001 and reached number two in the UK Album Charts and was certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry. It sold more than two million copies worldwide. This was followed up by her second album, Shoot From The Hip, released in 2003.

She has released four further studio albums, Trip The Light Fantastic, Make A Scene, Wanderlust and Familia which was released in 2016. Her fifth and latest album, The Song Diaries was released last month and Sophie Ellis-Bextor is planning to tour the UK to promote it.

Whilst busy preparing for her forthcoming tour, she took some time out to have a chat with Kevin Cooper and this is what she had to say.

Hi Sophie how are you today?

I’m fine thanks Kevin how are you?

I’m very well thank you and before we move on let me just thank you for taking the time to speak to me today.

No worries, thank you for your time.

And just how is life treating you as a new mum?

(Laughter) that’s right, he is twelve weeks old now and I have to say that life couldn’t be any better at this moment in time, but thank you for asking.

Does being a new mum make it harder for you to leave home and go back out on the road touring?

No not at all, I like doing the things that I am doing. If I want to I can take him along with me but at the end of the day it is a life that we know really, because he is not my first. I have done a lot of work around the other kids and it really is quite nice if I am totally honest with you.

On the subject of the forthcoming tour, I see that you have added six shows in November, which must please you?

Yes it does, things really are going great actually. When we put the tickets out there they sold really well so it wasn’t that hard a decision to add the six extra shows in November. The good thing is that all of the venues along the tour are really special and beautiful, which are used to accommodating orchestras so there is not really a bad seat in the house. The acoustics are lovely, and so hopefully people will already be in good spirits when they enter the building.

We have to talk about your latest album, The Song Diaries, and I have to say that I love it.

Thank you, that is really nice to hear.

More to the point are you happy with it?

Actually, yes I am. It has been a really lovely project for me from the beginning to the end. It has actually felt so self-indulgent (laughter). It has been great for me to have had the opportunity to work with so many nice people on this project plus it was great fun for me to do something that was a bit of a challenge and a little bit different. I personally feel that it is healthy to take on something that is a little bit scary sometimes (laughter).

The response from the fans has been amazing.

Yes it has, they really do seem to have taken to what it is that I was trying to do. The main thing is that I really am so happy that the album is finally out because I started working on it in December 2017 so it really is nice that it is now out and about and finished.

When did you decide to record the songs with the orchestra?

Well there by hangs a story (laughter). It all came about because a very good friend of mine called Amy, who is responsible for all of the arrangements on the album, well she did a version of Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love) for a charity event that we were both at. When I heard it I thought that it really bought something new out of the song and I wondered what would happen if we did that with a few more of the songs. So I took Amy out for lunch and said “right, let’s do this” (laughter). I handed her sixteen songs and to be honest, she really didn’t look too shocked (laughter). I really do think that she has done a remarkable job. She is very clever with her arrangements.

Well I have to tell you that I currently have three go to tracks, Love Is You, Take Me Home and Murder On The Dancefloor; I think that they are great.

Really, you obviously like a bit of disco Kevin don’t you (laughter).

Well I must admit that I am a soulie at heart and as soon as I heard those tracks I immediately thought of 1970s Philadelphia International, (Kenny) Gamble and (Leon) Huff with a pinch of New York’s Studio 54 thrown in for good measure (laughter).

(Laughter) really, well I have to tell you that is absolutely fantastic because that is what I was hoping to achieve. That basically is my happy place so whenever we do the live shows that is where I hope to take everybody. It really is 70s disco with, as you say, Philadelphia strings, New York disco, and that is exactly what I wanted to achieve. It looks like I had better be careful what I say because you certainly know your stuff.

You mention performing live, you will be touring the album here in the UK in June and November. What shape will the show take?

Well without wanting to give too much away, we do half of the concert with just the orchestra and after the interval the band take to the stage and then it is full on and it is Studio 54 to the end of the show really. It really is fun and I can’t wait.

Which song gave you the greatest pleasure when you heard it orchestrated?

Well I think that Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love) really does have a special place with me, because I just think that it brings something so very different out of the song. It really does become a dramatic, breathing, living thing. I also love Wild Forever, which is a song that I originally wrote with Ed Harcourt for my last album Familia. I really do love the new version of that song just as much as I love the original. That is a really good feeling if you really feel that you have bought something new to the table, the other side of the coin if you like. So that would be a personal favourite I guess.

When you were choosing which songs would make it onto the album, did knowing that they were going to be orchestrated influence your choice in any way?

Yes it did one hundred percent. Every track on the album is a single but I haven’t done every single if you see what I mean. I just thought that some of my songs wouldn’t really benefit that much, or I simply didn’t think that there was much point so I really did have to be quite careful with my decisions really. There is no point doing cover versions just for the sake of it. In my opinion a cover version has got to someway change or enhance whatever it is that you are listening to. So yes, that was a very big part in the decision making.

Having now listened to the finished album, is it something that you would like to do again?

I don’t really know at this moment in time. What I do know is that I am really looking forward to taking the album out on the road and performing the songs live. That really is a big treat for me. I know that it will feel strange being supported by an orchestra but I know that it will also feel really lovely. Having said that, at this moment in time I don’t feel that I will ever want to work with an orchestra again (laughter). I feel that you take it as far as you can and then you simply say “right that’s it, enough” (laughter).

Putting you on the spot, just where would The Song Diaries sit in a Sophie Ellis-Bextor top five albums?

(Laughter) well I have to say that whenever you release a new album that really does excite you; having a new album and new songs around you. So I would most probably put it quite near the top. Having said that, I think that my favourite album that I have made is most probably Wanderlust back in 2014, simply because it was quite significant for me when I made it. So that would be number one, then I would put Familia at number two and The Song Diaries at number three, smack bang in the middle of the five (laughter).

You are bringing the tour to the Royal Concert Hall here in Nottingham on Tuesday 4^th June, do you enjoy your time spent here in the city?

Yes I do, most definitely. One of my best friends from school went to Nottingham University so I really do have loads of lovely memories of exploring the city. I really do love Nottingham; I have friends who live there and so yes, I really am very fond of Nottingham. And let me tell you, when I get to Nottingham there won’t be much sitting around, I want the whole place to be jumping along with me. I don’t really stop whenever I have got the band behind me. Whenever we get to the disco section of the show that really does give me a hell of a lot of energy.

Whenever you are out on tour, what is the one thing that you can’t live without?

I really am not that fussy but somewhere on the rider there has always got to be wine and chocolate (laughter).

Red or white?

Most definitely white (laughter).

Who has inspired you musically along the way?

Oh blimey there have been so many people. Going back a couple of years now I was fortunate to see Fleetwood Mac and I have to say that it was truly amazing. Those guys really have managed to evolve with the times so they still sound as relevant today as they did thirty and forty years ago now. They still play their classic songs really well; they really did sound fantastic. So people like Fleetwood Mac really have inspired me.

And who are you listening to at the moment?

I am currently listening to the latest album by Vampire Weekend which really is quite playful but so well played and performed, together with A Deeper Understanding which is the latest album by The War On Drugs. I have also been listening to a lot of old school disco which is where I originally got the inspiration for the orchestral disco versions of the songs on the latest album. In fact I always seem to be going back to old school disco as that really does inspire me.

If you weren’t in the music business what do you think that you would be doing?

That really is a tricky one for me and I have to be honest and say that I really don’t know. If I am being totally honest with you then I would have to say that I honestly do not know what else I am able to do. I certainly don’t feel as though I have any other qualifications. I really do like psychology so perhaps I would be doing some kind of counselling. I like talking to people about things so maybe that could be good.

You have been in the music business for over twenty years now, have you enjoyed it?

I love it, in fact I probably love it as much now as I ever did, if not more. Especially as you get further into a career and you realise just how fortunate you are to still be doing something that you really love. I think that my relationship with the music business has got stronger and stronger really.

What would you say has been the highlight of your career so far?

That would have to be when I first started to make my own records under my own label. Please don’t get me wrong as I had ten really lovely years with Universal but it really is empowering for me to be able to do my own stuff, make my own decisions and not have to go to such a big committee. I am now working with people who I call friends who really are amazing people to work with. I personally think that really helps.

On the subject of working with friends, does working with Ed Harcourt bring out the best in you?

(Laughter) yes he does, I think that he his brilliant. Ed really is a very talented man and the good thing is that he makes me laugh too.

What was the first record that you bought?

The very first single that I bought was Our House by Madness. I was four years old and my dad made a really big thing about taking me to the record shop to buy it.

Who did you first see performing live?

That would have been Pink Floyd when I was eight. My dad is a massive Pink Floyd fan so he took me to see them when I was eight and then again when I was eleven. I think that he was trying to insist that I liked Pink Floyd (laughter).

Are you telling me that you still wanted to be involved with the music business after sitting through two Pink Floyd gigs?

(Laughter) I know exactly what you mean. I really do appreciate their music now, but at the time I really did think that it was terribly boring (laughter). Nobody got up and danced (laughter).

What was the last song or piece of music that made you cry?

Bugger that really is a tricky question. I can see why you leave it until the end of the interview. To be honest I think that it is when people sing live actually. Dan (Gillespie Sells) from The Feeing wrote a musical called Everybody’s Talking About Jamie and there is a song in it that the mum sings called He’s My Boy and that song makes me cry every time that I hear it. It is really moving.

The musical has recently been given another extended run I’m told?

Yes it has, just how did you know that?

Because I recently interviewed a certain Richard Jones from The Feeling who just so happens to be your husband (laughter).

(Laughter) did you really, well I sincerely hope that he gave you a good interview (laughter).

Yes he did and on that note let me once again thank you for taking the time to speak to me today, it’s been wonderful. You take care and I will see you here in Nottingham.

Thank you Kevin, I really am glad that we finally got to speak. Bye for now.