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REVIEW: EMELI SANDE AT CARDIFF SOLUS (13/04/12)

Emeli Sandé performed to a sold out Solus at Cardiff University’s  Student Union. There was no need for her to worry about bad luck, however, as her soulful voice and recent hit records exhilarated the crowd.

The show was opened by the supporting Seye (pronounced Cher or share). In all denim and with bigger hair than Emeli, he performed a short set of just five tracks accompanied only by his guitar. Worthy of mention are ‘White Noise’ and the upbeat ‘Legs Like Beyonce’. He is certainly one to watch out for.

With her four piece band and two backing singers, Emeli began on a high with her single ‘Daddy’ and this set the tone for the first half of her set. Introducing each song in her slightly bizarre Scottish-cum-American accent it was not all that surprising when she later told the audience she had co-written ‘Hope’ with Alicia Keys. She certainly came across as an American styled artist throughout the show, both in terms of her music itself and the rather earnest and emotional way she spoke about it.

There was a slight lull in proceedings after she had smashed ‘Read All About It (Part III)’, her own version of the number one collaboration with Professor Green. However, she secured an electric finale performing debut single ‘Heaven’ before returning to the crowd chanting her name and encoring with the sing-along hit ‘Next to Me’.

All in all it was an excellent show and one might rightly surmise that Emeli Sandé is destined for bigger and better things. A word of warning though: her next single ‘Wonder’, due to be released in the summer, doesn’t really have the same catchiness as her recent efforts and may not be as commercially successful.

Words and photo: Chris Williams

by 247 Magazine