Tuesday 29th January 08 - Alison Moyet at York Grand Opera House By Steve Rudd

Striding on in front of an eye-catching stage backdrop, Alison and her backing band immediately made themselves temporarily at home on the stage. And even sat up in the rafters of the fabulously preserved venue as I was, the sight down below was one to behold. It's not very often that Alison hits the road, making this date in York one to be savoured all the more. Promoting her new album The Turn, her seventh studio affair no less, she mixed and matched many of her new songs with a smattering of old classics that duly whipped her fans into a barking mad frenzy.

It wasn't until she was a couple of songs into her set that she realized there was no set-list at hand for her to refer to. Thus, she called to one of her roadies who meekly scampered on-stage with a copy of her set for the night, prompting one punter in the crowd to declare Alison a diva of the highest order. But he didn't mean it to sound offensive. At the end of the day, she'd probably admit to being something of a diva herself, but Alison isn't one for throwing petty strops or allowing her confidence to mutate into arrogance. She's a woman of the people, and in no time at all she had the crowd in stitches through being so self-deprecating.

Plucking a couple of numbers from her Alf and Essex albums, she clearly loves performing her old material just as much as she does her latest songs. Hell, she was even open to song requests from the audience, obliging one lucky fan with an impromptu rendition of That Ole Devil Called Love to whoops of delight. Looking as well as sounding fabulous, she was decked all in black, dominating the stage with her natural charisma and a huge voice to die for. To say that Alison Moyet has soul is perhaps the biggest understatement ever uttered, for she possesses it in droves, leaving a trail of broken hearts in her wake.

Transcending different musical genres galore, Alison can sing Soul, Blues and Pop simultaneously, a talent which lent some sections of her show something of a cabaret vibe. Having said that, she's also fond of rocking things up when needs be for dramatic effect, calling upon her punk roots too when she so desires. The most deafening screams of delight spilled down from the rafters when she announced that she was getting back together with Vince Clarke to perform some 'reunion' dates as one half of Yazoo.

She then launched into 'Only You' - a classic slice of 80's Pop if ever there was one.

In a similar vein, her 1984 hit All Cried Out was another chance for her fans to cast their minds back to when she was just embarking on her solo career, with such a tune having featured on her debut album, Alf. Remarkably, given the strength of Alison's new tracks, it sounds like the best could still be yet to come from this genuine woman of substance.

Comments Prototype Version 1.0 by Mo

Music Reviews - Friday 25th January 2008 - ThisisUll Live at The New Adelphi, Hull By Benny Jenner, Life Burns Records Photographs by ChrisW Photography
	Half past eight on a Friday night, I'm stuck in Hull and I'm here at the new Adelphi club, a place I haven't been to in over eight months. Not due to my own fault I just haven't had the urge to check out many bands who play there, but tonight is different. I've been asked by thisisUll.com to come down and review three bands who played tonight. Read more...

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Music Reviews - Wednesday 21st November 07 - Plugged Press Night by Phil James
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Music Reviews - Wednesday 21st November 07 - Circus Envy and Stickpin at Durty Nelly's By Nicki Stylianou
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Music Reviews - Wednesday 17th October 07 - TopGun At The Adelphi Club By Michelle Dee
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Music Reviews - Monday 24th September 07 - Six Nation State and The Cherry Cobb Cartel At Lamp By Michelle Dee
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Music Reviews - Wednesday 24th October 07 - Shoot the Moon, The James Dean Syndrome & Santa's Buggerboyz at Lamp By Philip Wincolmlee Barnes
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Music Reviews - Thursday 11th October 07 - Battle Of the Bands Wild Card Semi-Final at Ringside. Words and Photographs by ChrisWPhotography
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Music Reviews - Thursday 27th September 07 - Music Exchange featuring Dave Abbott Jess Banister The Harri Watts Band and Ernest (Rare Acoustic Performance) By Michelle Dee
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Music Reviews - Sunday 5th August 07 - Piney Gir, Analogue Consumption and Wendy at The Adelphi By James McGuire
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