John Newman

The chart-topping pop soul sensation bounced out from behind a huge white curtain, a fully-formed star. Unfortunately, the too smooth mix took away the rawness and passion needed for his powerful repertoire. That said, his set was peppered with housey piano riffs and the backing singers’ gospel-tinged harmonies that had elements of Screamadelica. A very mixed crowd lapped up the up-tempo numbers and a sea of camera phones fuzzily recorded the hits. His powerful voice wavered a little on the ballads but he blasted out his anthemic signature song ‘Love Me Again’ to sealed the deal. Watch your back Plan B.

Concorde 2, 16 December 2013
Rating:
Steve Clements