Express & Star

V Festival 2017: Emeli Sande - review

There is a point in any music festival when day turns to evening and the atmosphere kicks up a notch.

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Emeli Sande

That point came soon after Emile Sande stepped onto the main stage on Saturday.

The Aberdeenshire lassie showed that she is a true international star by capturing the crowd in the palm of her hand.

Emeli Sande

Sande is back with a new hairdo but the same, great songs and incredible voice.

There was no razmatazz, no costumes, Sande dressed down in an orange casual dress and denim jacket to keep out the unseasonable chill in the air.

But her music brought the crowds flocking to the arena.

She told them: "You are full of Wonder", before launching into the track Wonder, much to their delight.

Emeli Sande

Sande had a great band and singers behind her giving a perfect wrap around sound to her voice, with not only a great drummer but dedicated percussionist that underpinned the set.

Her guitarist Mike Davies stood in beautifully for the soulful duet in hit song Beneath You're Beautiful, which she originally performed with Labyrinth.

His understated persona couldn't hide his real talent for singing.

Breathing Underwater a personal track, was, she said, about finding freedom before laughing into her smash hits that brought the house down.

Emeli Sande

The crowd knew every word. No sooner did the last notes sound that Sande announced her number one hit, Read All About It, recorded with Professor Green.

"This song stands for unity and peace and is more relevant than ever today. The louder we can sing it the better." Sande yelled.

And sing loud they did. It was a hairs standing up on the back of the neck moment.

The tempo then changed for her final songs, Highs and Lows and Next to Me.

Sande begins a UK tour in October. If you missed her at V, you can catch her in Birmingham on October 24.