Simply Stunning
What can I say? If Dame Shirley needed any proof that she is still adored by her fans then 3000 of us certainly gave her that proof last night! She gave us the performance of her life and blew the roof off the Roundhouse.
Slightly later than expected Shirley took to the stage for her only live performance in the UK this year. The roar from the crowd was tremendous. Looking simply stunning in a new silver glittering gown by Julien MacDonald she opened with ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ and then went on to sing ‘I’m Still Here’. She was in fantastic voice and she obviously was there to enjoy herself and show everyone the reason why she is the greatest entertainer in the world! Her voice was so strong and powerful and she soon raised the roof of this venue. She promised some ‘old’ songs and also some new songs from her forthcoming album. We got ‘Apartment’, After The Rain’,'Girl From Tiger Bay’, ‘The Performance Of My Life’ and ‘Almost There’. There were no mistakes or fluffing of lines and she sang them with confidence. For me the highlight of these new songs was ‘Almost There’ and from the reception it received I think it was the highlight for most fans there. That performance was purely electrifying! The applause was deafening and she was obviously delighted that the audience loved it. ‘The Performance Of My Life’ was also superb. In fact it was awesome.
We were treated to some old favourites, all with new arrangements. Each one was greeted with deafening applause. ‘What Now My Love’, ‘As Long As He Needs Me’ etc sounded brilliant. It was all just so amazing. The atmosphere was unbelievable and the concert flew by and all too soon she went off stage only reappearing wearing the ‘cape’! The end was near but the fans wanted much, much more. ‘Light My Fire’ came and went down a storm only to be followed by a rousing version of ‘I Am What I Am’. Once again she left the stage but there was one more song to come. Having taken off the cape she returned to the stage with some roses to throw to the audience and then to tremendous applause launched into ‘Goldfinger’ at the end of which we were showered with pieces of gold foil from the ceiling. The ovation was very well-earned. She was in complete control of her voice for the whole of the concert.
I have been to many concerts by Shirley and last nights rates very highly amongst them. She certainly can show the youngsters a thing or two. She doesn’t need dancers, backing singers or elaborate stage fittings to entertain. Madonna, Kylie etc take note – a true entertainer just needs to be able to sing. She’s 72 but looks and sounds many years younger. Dame Shirley your fans love you and we want MORE!
For the fans who were unable to attend last night it is to be televised tonight on BBC 2 at 22.40 and will be available by red button from 6.00am tomorrow. These are for the UK only unfortunately.
In spite of all the worries about ID being required etc this was not the case. I do not know of anyone who was asked to show ID. I found all the staff at the Roundhouse extremely helpful and the evening was perfect.
Thank you BBC for the Electric Proms and certainly Dame Shirley’s performance was truely ELECTRIC!
Special thanks to my friend André for these exclusive photos. I will be posting more of André’s photos later.
STOP PRESS:- Have just seen today’s Guardian newspaper and it carries a 7 page interview and photograhs of Dame Shirley – Fabulous photos but she was obviously not happy with the way the interview went and so made an early exit.
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I WAS SO PROUD OF DSB LAST NIGHT. LISTENED ON THE RADIO. GLAD WHAT NOW MY LOVE IS ONCE AGAIN TO THE BOLERO BEAT. THE ORCHESTRA WAS FANTASTIC AND THE NEW SONGS ESPECIALLY `ALMOST THERE` AND `THE APARTMENT` ARE TRULY WONDERFUL. CANNOT WAIT FOR BBC2 TONIGHT. I DO THINK IT SHOULD BE ON EARLIER. NOW WE HAVE THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL CHILDREN IN NEED APPEARANCE TO LOOK FORWARD TO. THEATRES AND CONCERT HALLS ARE THE MORE APPROPRIATE SETTINGS FOR THIS TRULY GREAT STAR RATHER THAN THE ARENAS WHERE MANY PEOPLE CANNOT SEE SHIRLEY PROPERLY. SURELY SHE CLEARLY IS PLANNING CONCERTS IF NOT WHY HAVE A NEW GOWN, NEW ARRANGEMENTS.
HELLO DAVIDB: great comments of the show!I I am a great fan also of DAME BASSEY……! I would like to see the concert in the BBC can you tell me where can I find the transmition????? Also what is the red button that you mentioned????Thank you so much again !
ops ! I forgot to mentioned that I live in Miami USA
David, you capture the atmosphere of the evening so well! It was one of the greatest performances ever given – by Dame Shirley or indeed by anyone else. Utterly amazing! Dame Shirley had clearly done a huge amount of rehearsing and it all paid off magnificently.
I agree with you entirely about ‘Almost There’. I thought it was very moving indeed. I also loved ‘After the Rain’ – it showcased the beauty of Dame Shirley’s voice perfectly.
A truly incredible night thanks to a truly incredible performer.
Peter.
Dear Shirley,
To night I am listening to your CD ‘The Power of Love’ which I am privilledges to own as a part of my varied personal music collection. You are such an Artist …. contemporary … universal …. historical …. eternal …. it is my humble opinion that your name will be mentioned centuries from now …. What a human being you are ….. I have been divorced twice …. married 3 times …. every wife has been such an unforgettable love, wife, special partner and good mother …. and am able to be a better husband and a better human being today because of the experience of these loves …. if I hurt any one of them at any time, I regret it …. one tries one’s best within one’s human ability ….. but today, I am humbly grateful that each of htese experiences has allowed me to grow and to currently experience a mutually blllissful love life as I enter into my sixtieth year of life on earth …. to each of the three LOVES of my life I say ‘ Dio come Ti Amo’ – You Shirley, are a HUGE HERO having been able to experience this kind of difficult ordeal and come out a better human being who is able to inspire such billioons of humble little people like me …. God Bless you!
Oops! I fogot that I live in Durban South Africa (French origin from Isle de France – the island of Mauritius) of French culture but South African resident since 1959 and South African citizen since 1992. Shirley, tu est tres geniale!
I must further mention that I did not have the privillege to see your show. I am writing from Durban right now. I stumbled into this website while listening to your CD on my computer in Durban tonight. I do this regularly. My motication for writing in is only that I wanted to pay my respects, but was pleasently surprised and gobsmacked by the comments which I say from members of your audiance in your recent show. For me there was never any doubt in your ability as a GREAT STAR. Thank you, thank you.
Dame Shirley – this is my sincere and heartfelt message to you. You were always the star, the biggest star, and the inspiration for so many people who wanted to achieve something with their lives. You are the living proof that when a person really, truly, knows what they want more than anything else in the world, and provided they have the drive, the guts, and the sheer unremitting determination to see it through no matter what, they will achieve it.
You wanted your success so much, and you made so many sacrifices to achieve it, and your achievements were magnificent. You didn’t just reach your goals, you surpassed them all, you shattered them. You were Shirley Bassey, the unsophisticated little girl from Tiger Bay, but you created the amazing person who became Dame Shirley Bassey the great superstar, the most loved and most glamorous of them all. You, Dame Shirley, are truly your own special creation. There has never been anybody like you.
But please let all of us, your admirers, keep intact all of our most cherished memories of you and of your magnificent performances over so many years – all the way from 1959’s As I Love You to 2009’s The Performance. Fifty years of wonderful memories of you for so many people all around the world.
What I am trying to say Dame Shirley is that maybe it’s time now to let go, while you are still at the very top of the tree. It’s time to let go and it’s time to find that special person to share the rest of your life with. The one you have wondered about and have talked about, the one and only special person who IS somewhere out there waiting for you.
You have given your all for your audience for over half a century, and you are still the great superstar, and that is how we want to remember you. Perhaps it’s time now for you to take the time for yourself that you have never been able to. You said that one day you wanted to find the real Shirley Bassey again – but to do that you have to let go of Dame Shirley Bassey, superstar.
So Shirley – go see those pyramids! You’ve truly earned the right to do so!