UK Theatre Network

ELKIE BROOKS:   50^th ANNIVERSARY TOUR

Some performers stand in a league all of their own – and Elkie Brooks is one of them. Now celebrating half a century in the music business, she wowed a heaving Civic theatre as she belted out hits from her back catalogue, including Fool if You Think It’s Over, Sunshine After the Rain, Don’t Cry Out Loud, Lilac Wine and Pearl’s a Singer.

At 65, Elkie looks and, more importantly, sounds fantastic. Her versatility is stunning and she moved with ease from blues to rock to jazz and back again, electrifying the audience as she did so. Indeed, Miss Brooks doesn’t simply deliver a song she makes love to it, caressing the lyrics and sensuously teasing out raw emotion from every line.

Never an artist to just bask in the glory of her past successes, Elkie also introduced the audience to a couple of songs from her brand new album. The hauntingly beautiful Why and the title track, Powerless, are not just two exceptionally brilliant ballads, but also proof that Elkie Brooks just keeps getting better and better and testament that she still has one of the best voices in the business.

 Steve Burbridge.