Gig Review: Beverley Knight at the Royal Concert Hall

I’m not ashamed to admit that my childhood definitely involved belting out quite a few Beverley Knight tracks in the mirror with a hairbrush, so it felt surreal to get to chat to her last month and see her perform for myself. That being said, I wasn’t quite prepared for the rollercoaster of emotions her show would take me on.

Arriving at the concert hall it was fantastic to see such an array of fans all as excited as I was to see the Queen of Soul take to the stage. From rowdy gaggles of girl friends who were already singing all Beverley’s classics with accompanying dance routines as they waited for the show to start, to entire families who had brought their teenage kids, parents and grandparents, they were all there and fizzing with anticipation.  

As we took our seats, we took in the impressive all-white stage set up, which featured two sets of keys, drums and guitars all ready for Beverley’s iconic eight-piece band to begin making magic. 

The show kicked off with a performance from super talented American singer-songwriter Casey McQuillen who warmed the crowd up perfectly with her stunningly honest and soulful songs, coupled with her hilarious wit and charm. She then made way for a DJ set featuring all the best disco, soul and old school RnB classics to get everyone suitably hyped, before the star herself emerged like an absolute goddess, dressed in a skin-tight black and white bodysuit. All I can say is, fifty? Where?

There are some people who have an innate power to fill up every single corner of every room they’re in thanks to their magnetically captivating energy, and Beverley Knight is definitely one of them. From the moment she stepped onto the stage, we were all hooked and there was no looking away.

She opened the show with a bang with Made It Back, a fitting opener given the fact this was her first time back to the Royal Concert Hall in six years, during a tour that marked her triumphant return to the music world. Setting the tone for the evening perfectly, it had everyone on their feet, priming us all for an evening of dancing the night away.

The next high energy song on the setlist, Greatest Day definitely had us all believing Beverley was having just that, as she danced and jumped across the stage with amazing finesse, energy and unfaltering powerhouse vocals. In my last interview with her, Beverley had mentioned that the stage is her home, and seeing her effortlessly work it like only a pro with a music career as long as hers could, you can certainly tell it’s what she was born to do. 

Systematic Overload, the first track of the evening from her new album, The Fifth Chapter came next. Released earlier this year, it quickly became Radio 2’s most played track on the network and is certainly one of my favourite tracks on the album. Despite having a career that spans four decades, the fact that Beverley can still create music today that people can get excited about is a real testament to her unmistakable talent, and Systematic Overload highlights that perfectly.

Taking us on a trip down memory lane, next came Beverley’s 2004 hit song Keep This Fire Burning and with it memories of watching the music video on MTV with my sister during the school holidays.

Beverley also gave a shout out to her mum who was sitting in the audience enjoying the show with us, and there’s something about the fact that even a star as big as Beverley gets excited to see her mum in the audience that really brought home how wonderfully down to earth she is, despite her stardom.

Digging deeper into the archives, Beverley pulled out another one of pre-teen Addie’s hairbrush classics, Gold, which provided a beautiful hit of nostalgia and a few leaky tear ducts as we all dutifully switched on our phone torches, and belted out the heartfelt lyrics which serve as an anthemic reminder to know your worth.

Bringing the mood to a slightly more sombre tone, and providing a little rest for our dancing feet, the show’s next song Fallen Soldier was dedicated to Beverley’s former band member, Paul Reid who sadly passed away on Christmas day three years ago and had created the arrangement for the song with Beverley. Explaining a little more about the beautiful song and its significance, Beverley told us how the song had been written after the murder of black British teenager Stephen Lawrence who was racially attacked in 1993 while waiting for a bus - a fitting tribute during Black History Month too.

Then after a few moments of reflection and a chance for Beverley to change outfits, the next song, and the third song of the night from the new album, I’m On Fire, had us all back on our feet before launching into Beverley’s chart topping 2002 hit song Shoulda Woulda Coulda. If there was anyone that by some miracle wasn’t yet singing by then, this song certainly cleared that up, and twenty years later, it’s safe to say we all still knew every word as we sang them back with vigour.

She then launched into another show-stopping classic, Come As You Are with everyone singing, stamping and clapping along to the catchy beat. Bringing the set to an end was Last One on My Mind, her hit song from the new album and the disco party track that has been dominating the radio waves since its release.

Of course the audience certainly weren’t done yet though, and as they frantically demanded an encore, Beverley and her band generously obliged as she returned to the stage sporting a new outfit and belting out a powerful rendition of Chaka Khan’s I’m Every Woman. What followed was a high-octane medley of disco classics that had the atmosphere pumping and left none of us willing to leave.

It’s safe to say there are worse ways to spend a chilly autumn Tuesday evening. And, as the darker nights set in, it was the perfect way to suspend reality and step into a world of fantastic music and dancing in honour of the return of the undisputed British treasure and Queen of Soul. 

Beverley Knight performed at the Royal Concert Hall on 24 October 2023

@beverleyknight