live music

Editor's rating

Venue: O2 Academy, Newcastle
Gig played: 24 March 2009

Bringing his brand of blues-infused pop to a packed O2 Academy, James Morrison does his bit to win over the north-east by inserting a few lines from 'Fog on the Tyne' into his opener. From here on in he has the crowd in the palm of his hand.

The Rugby-born singer powers through a set list crammed with his best-known pieces - such as 'You Make It Real' and 'You Give Me Something' - and adds a couple of surprises too, including a sped-up rendition of Stevie Wonder's 'Uptight (Everything's Alright)' which immediately brings the audience to their feet.

The real stand-out moments come during 'Once When I Was Little' and 'Please Don't Stop The Rain', which Morrison sings with so much heart it's impossible not to become transfixed. His slightly raw but powerful vocals bring dimensions of light and shade to the gentle tracks, and the band and backing singers neatly complement his style rather than drowning it.

Backing artist Beverly Brown steps up to replace Nelly Furtado for latest single 'Broken Strings' and does a better job on the duet than the diminutive Canadian herself might have done.

Though he may not have the cool or charisma of other artists, James Morrison knows how to execute a song with maximum emotion and honesty, and turns out a truly satisfying performance that marks him out as one of England's finest singer/songwriters of the moment.

James Whittington