Lionel Richie review: ‘A high-octane spectacle of showmanship’
Early in his set at the Co-Op Live, Lionel Richie declared that “We are going to kick ass in Manchester,” and it’s safe to say that Richie and the audience duly did in a show that was a celebration truly befitting a musical legend.
As Richie prepared to step on the stage, a video montage documenting the 75-year-old’s 57-year career that has seen him become one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time, earn four Grammy Awards and an Academy Award, which perfectly summarised the theme of the show – celebrating Richie’s impeccable legacy in a performance that was a high-octane spectacle of showmanship.
Over the years, it has repeatedly been stated that “Father Time is undefeated”, but Lionel Richie is certainly defying that notion. From the funky, driving sax-laden ‘Brick House’ to the party-mode inducing ‘Dancing on the Ceiling’, which included a snippet of the Van Halen classic ‘Jump’, Richie remains in impeccable form live. His voice is still strong – a testament to his vocal maintenance throughout the years. He remains the loveable, larger-than-life personality we’ve all come to love, and he’s still the polished showman who feeds off the energy of the crowd and knows how to make the biggest settings feel intimate.
Watching Richie live, it often feels like a full-blown karaoke session that you can’t help but participate in, particularly on timeless and universally revered classics ‘Easy’ and ‘Three Times A Lady’ – the latter accompanied by a majestic piano arrangement – and the former saw Richie and his saxophonist strut down the catwalk as the sound of sax riffs complemented the singer’s lush vocals.
Arriving onto the stage via a trapdoor, Richie delivered the opening notes of ‘Hello’ with a tenderness in his voice before encouraging the endearing Mancunian audience to “help me out now”, leading to a singalong that made everyone from the front row to those seated in the AMP Club feel immersed in the atmosphere.
While the presence of Richie’s highly skilled five-piece backing band added an additional element to his sound, with the gritty, duelling guitar solos on ‘Running With The Night’ a particular highlight, as well as a rendition of ‘Fire’, which saw Richie’s backing band engage in a dance routine as balls of fire filled the sky. While the funky drumming on ‘Se La’ leaves the audience in collective awe, and the aforementioned ‘Dancing on the Ceiling’ was knocked up another notch with a mesmerising saxophone solo.
The masterful musical performance was complemented perfectly by the humour, candour and wit of Richie. Throughout the evening, the 75-year-old made quips about the fire being hot and making a mental note to ensure the temperatures would be turned down for Friday’s set, expressing his disbelief over Manchester experiencing sunny weather and even referencing his age when discussing his desire to perform ‘Endless Love’ live with Diana Ross and joking, “Soon we won’t have many weeks left,” when recalling Ross’ response of “Maybe next week.” However, a moving rendition of the aforementioned track was delivered thanks to the audience stepping up to perform Ross’ verses in a beautifully powerful moment.
As the night came to a close, a piano-led rendition of ‘Say You, Say Me’ sees Richie perform on an elevated platform with the 10,000+ in attendance singing their hearts out before delivering an impassioned speech calling for peace and world unity ahead of a stirring performance of ‘We Are The World’, setting the tone for an explosive encore of ‘All Night Long’ to drop the curtain on night one of Richie’s Co-Op Live shows.
Brooke Combe
“For anyone that doesn’t know me, I am Brooke Combe. Sometimes we come out, and there’s one weirdo.” Even inside Europe’s biggest venue, Brooke Combe can make the environment adapt to her ability to make a large-scale setting feel like a chilled environment. Opening for Richie, it’s safe to say that she made quite the impression.
The singer has been lauded by the likes of Rolling Stone UK, The Guardian and NME, and her debut record ‘Dancing at the Edge of the World’ was released this year to acclaim. It’s easy to see why she is held in such high regard.
Having seen Combe perform at the O2 Ritz earlier this year, it’s clear that she was no ordinary talent, and on the opening track ‘This Town’, her voice soared to a backdrop of an infectious guitar riff and a subtle piano part. A piano-led rendition of ‘Shaken by the Wind’ and the phenomenally catchy piano-fuelled ‘Pieces’ are undoubted highlights from the opening set.
A cover of ‘Summer Breeze’ highlighted the effortless skill of Combe and her backing band with an extended instrumental section, and the upbeat ‘Lanewood Pines’, with its lush harmonies, provided a shot of adrenaline before a performance of ‘Black Is The New Gold’ provided further opportunity for the backing band to engage in duelling solos, prior to ‘For The Last Time’ and ‘Dancing At The Edge of the World’ closing the set out.