There are few singers in the world that have reinvented themselves as often as Lulu. From bouncing into the public's affection in 1964 covering the Isley Brother's Shout - to make it hers forever more - Lulu continues to be writing and performing great music more than 40 years later. Her gig in Norwich was the start of a 20 date tour across the UK - delivering a set list which saw an effortless blend of past hits, a sprinkling of songs by other artists and healthy dose of new work, much of which comes from her latest album Back On Track. It was a restless crowd at the Norwich Theatre Royal. Politely giving warm-up vocalist Barratt Waugh his half-an-hour in the spotlight, the audience were quickly done with nibbling on the entrée and wanted to tuck into the main course of the night. After some impatient slow hand-clapping (was there really any need) – it was the moment we'd all been waiting for. In an explosion of magenta varilight and rippling star cloth, the temperature soared as Lulu arrived to deliver a punchy opening – an uplifting rendition of Kool and the Gang's Celebration. Small in stature, big in voice – Lulu looked amazing in jeans with a satin trim and a fitted khaki jacket. Encrusted with detail that sparkled like the night sky, it had the addition of a dropped waistline at the rear. This was a top designed to swoosh on the touche with every twist. Lulu and her male five-piece were out to have a good night, we were fortunate enough to be there to share the experience. Highlights of the set included a trip back in time to the magical sound of Motown and the songs of Holland-Dozier-Holland, the group responsible for writing nearly 90% of the hits released on the Motown label. In the next beat, we were brought bang up to date with new songs like Where The Poor Boys Dance. The set lasted more than an hour, the applause was long and loud, we were treated to a great encore that included Relight My Fire- Lulu's hit with Take That. Of course, the only way to end the night was to Shout! A great gig that showed Lulu in terrific form, packed with energy, bursting with confidence and nothing to prove. Lulu is a queen of British pop and long may she continue to rule. Barratt Waugh  | | Barratt Waugh |
Lulu's support act for the night came in the form of the good looking, 25-year-old, Barratt Waugh. The, shall we say, slightly mature audience a perfect band-wagon upon which to jump additional fans for this talented singer/songwriter. This is a guy who writes new songs with an old fashioned flavour. They're songs that tell stories inspired by life, backed by a composition which is dynamic and rich in instrumentation. Waugh has a big vocal range, but needs to be careful not to show off his falsetto at every opportunity. It was great for the Bee Gees, it worked for Prince, but Paris from Fame Academy was told to knock it back a bit. This is sensible advice and worthy of note, this type of singing can be tiresome over any period of time. The songs delivered from his new album Much Love (just in case you were wondering what it's called as Waugh forgot to say) show a great maturity in his songwriting, but there's work to be done on the live act. I enjoyed his performance, but it wasn't special. The nerves of the night were showing – somewhat surprisingly when we learn he's recently completed a run of 40 dates at the Royal Albert Hall supporting Sir Cliff. According to the publicity blurb Barratt has a smooth, mellow style with a grown-up, contemporary feel. In many ways I have to agree. Barratt will sound great on the MOR stations, but in a live situation he's got to get over the nerves and, as I overheard somebody else say, he needs to develop a rapport with the audience. During the set I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if he ever came up against the likes of The X Factor's Simon Cowell - only to later learn that he had. "Distinctly average," was Cowell's verdict - for Barratt's sake, I hope he's wrong. Lulu and Barrett Waugh performed at the Norwich Theatre Royal on Sunday 24 October, 2004. | 
