Review: Lionel Richie at LG Arena, Birmingham
[gallery] Oh, he's a smooth talker that Lionel Richie. "I've spent many years coming to Birmingham," he told his adoring fans on the opening night of his UK tour, "and you haven't changed a bit."
That pretty much set the tone for an evening packed with solid gold hits, from infectious dance numbers to smoochy ballads. You know, the ones that were saved for the slow dance at the end of the school disco all those years ago.
Richie kicked off the show with Hello - well, a pumped up dance remix of his mega ballad - and ended it with Goodbye, bidding the fans a fond farewell until next time.
In between a sold-out LG Arena was treated to a non-stop greatest hits package of solo hits and favourites from his time with The Commodores.
His entrance saw him appear at the back of the stage on raised platform as a hi-tech wall of lights flashed around him. Throughout the show the lighting was used to inventive effect, especially on the uptempo numbers, where a bank of lights would appear to light up the audience at the front of the stage..
From time to time a grand piano would rise up from under the stage for a slower number and then magically disappear again when it was time for an untempo number, leaving room for Richie and his band members to strut their stuff.
Richie promised to "sing everything that I can remember" before joking "I seem to be remembering less these days."
No problem there though, the Birmingham crowd was well up to the task, particularly when - with Diana Ross somehow not being available last night - it was left to the 8,000 or so "laydees" packed into the LG Arena to sing her words to Endless Love.
Just in case there was a problem (there wasn't), the words to the song were beamed, karaoke style, on to a giant screen at the back of the stage.
The remaining 8,000 or so in the arena - their fellas - responded with warm applause, and could be seen cutting loose with their own dance moves from time to time, which earned them a gentle ribbing from Richie: "You know I said I don't remember things? Well, I don't remember that dance!"
Richie proved himself to be an affable host, a raconteur with a tale or two to tell as the evening went on.
He recalled one family meal where his father stood up and proposed a toast to his mother. "There's a song in there somewhere", thought a canny Lionel, who returned home and proceeded to write Three Times A Lady.
That song, along with Say You, Say Me, Easy, Sail On and Still, had the crowd singing along. Dancing On The Ceiling, All Night Long, a tremendously funky Brick House and Running With The Night had them dancing in the aisles.
There was, thankfully, time too for the "proper" slow version of Hello.
And despite the tour being meant to promote his latest album Tuskegee, a collection of countryfied versions of his greatest hits, Richie and his band delivered faithful renditions of the originals. Again, thankfully.
Review and photos by Ian Harvey
