WHEN Marti Pellow goes on a greatest hits tour it’s probably harder trying to decide what to leave off the set list rather than what to put in such is the back catalogue of million sellers he has to call upon.
As well as all of those Wet Wet Wet hits, he has released twelve solo albums and is partial to the odd cover version giving him a catalogue spanning 34 years or more.
Taking to the stage in a star-patterned jacket he opened with Steamroller quickly followed by Love Is All Around and Wishing I Was Lucky.
The audience were immediately on their feet and dancing in the aisles and that’s where they stayed for the majority of the gig, only taking a seat for a few of the slower numbers such as an excellent cover of Sailing “because we are by the sea”.
During the next hour and a half it was difficult to work out who was having the most fun, Marti or the crowd. He is a true frontman who effortlessly interacts with the crowd throughout the evening.
He spends time chatting between songs, painting pictures of his experiences of lockdown and stories from his childhood that neatly segued into a cover of Don McClean's Vincent. This was delivered whilst sitting over the edge of the stage with his guitarist and at the Pavilion this means he must have been practically sitting in the laps of the people in the front row.
The light show was excellent and often reminiscent of a disco from the 1970s (or a club in the 1980s and 1990s if your are not as old as me). Surprise cover versions of McFadden & Whitehead's Ain’t No Stopping Us Now interlinked with Le Freak by Chic and I Can Give You Everything really emphasised that upbeat dance vibe and was a particular favourite part of the show.
His voice is instantly recognisable and still as strong as ever. He can change from delicate ballad to belting out those hits in a heartbeat, all the time maintaining that soulful tone that the crowd love so much. The set list was perfectly balanced and resulted in a real feel good night.
The main set ended with a rousing version of Temptation but the crowd did not have to wait long for the encore that saw Marti perform a three-song encore that included Getting By and a very mellow version of Both Sides Now.
All in all this was a great gig that saw Marti deliver a performance as good as any from the past 30 odd years. A true performer who is still at the top of his game
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