Lionel Richie performing at The Liverpool Echo Arena _460
IT WAS a charismatic Lionel Richie that opened last night’s gig with a comfortably smooth rendition of the Commodores hit Easy.
Dressed in black with only a hint of bling, he had the energy of a much younger man and the crowd was up on its feet within just a few bars.
With both a back catalogue spanning more than 40 years and a new album to plug, the concert was mainly a greatest hits show with a bit of new material thrown in.
All the favourites were included – Say You Say Me, My Tender Heart, Dancing on the Ceiling – and an enormous disco ball descending for a few Commodores singles.
An upbeat Ballerina Girl, written for his daughter Nicole, ended with a photo of her 15-month-old daughter Harlow on the big screens and a very proud grin from grandad.
Although the show was unashamedly cheesy, Richie proved his worth as a serious musician. With the backing group gone from the stage, he sang a touching set of three numbers, including the ballads Still and Hello, accompanied only by his own piano solo.
Ever the romantic, the 59-year-old musician announced he would perform a song that he no longer sings “because the crowd sings it for me” (Three Times a Lady) and for the opening of the encore asked to sing a duet “with the 7,000 women in the audience” (Endless Love). By the time All Night Long struck up as the final number, most people there were wishing it were true.
