A lone spotlight beams down like a halo on Emeli Sande as she sings the opening few bars of Intermission in angelic acapella.
Instantly the audience is transfixed, the room which had been buzzing with excitement moments earlier had fallen deathly silent.
Then Sande’s band came alive and she launched into her debut single Heaven.
It was a fittingly classy and graceful start for a star who has been out of the limelight for three years, as she eases her way back into the spotlight, literally, in this case.
But what was abundantly clear from the outset, was how much her fans have missed Sande.
Emeli Sande who has a gig at Gorilla after being out of the limelight for several years.
The delight to have the 27-year-old, whose signature white blonde quiff was comfortingly on-point, was palpable as the softly-spoken Scot politely thanked us all for waiting so patiently for her to craft her new album, Long Live The Angels. ‘No problem’ we all thought, collectively.
The set flows smoothly with Sande dipping into her singles and best-loved songs from multi-million selling Our Version Of Events, and then switching to a carefully selected few from her new offering.
Give Me Something has a distinct gospel-edge, which really suits Sande, who introduces the song as ‘like a prayer’.
Sande lays her feelings bare on Every Single Little Piece, singing every note with such honesty and truth that you can’t help but get taken in by it. Mesmerising stuff.
Emeli Sande has a lot of love for Manchester and its music
A cover of Kanye West, Rihanna and Sir Paul Mcartney’s FourFiveSeconds leads into the upbeat Highs and Lows, which has elements of Next To Me running through it.
Happen – a personal favourite of Sande’s on Long Live The Angel – included a superb guitar solo by Mike Davies.
Beautiful ballad My Kind of Love was re-worked and stripped-back while her comeback track Hurts translated well from the radio to the live stage. It’s atmospheric, moody and signature Sande.
Manchester was then treated to a first-time ever performed listen of soulful and mellow album song Garden, which included a rap from Áine Zion, who joined Sande on stage.
The poignant and moving Clown was a stark contrast to Sande’s ‘happy’ song Babe, which was an instant fan-favourite. It’s cute and snappy with a catchy snare drum-led chorus.
Eight new shows going on sale in Manchester this week: including Elbow, X Factor Live, John Bishop
Next to Me was given a tribal-sound treatment and her breakthrough Read All About It, which we first heard a sample of when Sande appeared on rapper Professor Green’s track of the same name, played us out.
From the deliriously happy faces of her fans chanting her name long after she had left the stage, it would be safe to say that Sande’s much-anticipated return was well worth the wait.
Thank you, Emeli, for coming back.
Setlist
Intermission
Heaven
Give Me Something
Every Single Little Piece
FourFiveSeconds
Highs and Lows
Happen
My Kind of Love
Hurts
Garden
Clown
Babe
Next To Me
Encore
Read All About It
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