David McAlmont
The Lowry, 17 February 2011
On a previous visit to Manchester, David McAlmont performed a bunch of Harold Arlen songs. In this terrific concert, he delivered a set of songs taken from his own extraordinary career.
We got ‘Yes’, ‘Lose My Faith’, a fair few other hits and a couple of numbers associated with Shirley Bassey; there were also some less well-known and new songs here.
David’s banter between songs revealed un homme tout rond: a man humorous, proud, self-accepting and a smidgeon divaesque. Clearly, he is in a happy and good place at the minute.
And his voice is in good shape too, as fine as it’s ever been on this hearing.
When he performed some of the more rhythmic, driving songs, one wondered what he’d have become if he’d have embraced Little Richard as a model rather than Shirley or Dionne Warwick, say. Although that’s likely a pointless, ‘The Jolly Corner’, kind of question. A Jagger–like stagecraft was present here, at any rate.
To paraphrase the strapline of a current ad. campaign, Even Angels Would Fall to possess a voice like David’s. And they’d likely want to exchange their wings for his wonderful feather boa as well.
