AMERICAN-BORN Bonnie Raitt was welcomed to the Royal Concert Hall on Sunday night by a completely sold-out and appreciative crowd who greeted her with a standing ovation.

Not only does she look amazing but her voice has got richer and warmer, which worked wonderfully with her moody music.

Delivering a setlist that was a real mixture of her music – her hits, songs from her latest album and even some lesser known non-single tracks from her old albums – she kicked things off with Split Decision from her 2012 album Slipstream, and the mood was instantly set for the rest of the evening.

Following up with Time Of Our Lives, Raitt and her band settled in nice and easy for her always raucously fun version of John Hiatt’s Thing Called Love.

Homage was paid as wonderful versions of Mable John’s Your Good Thing (Is About To End), Oliver Mtukudzi’s Hear Me Lord, a bouncy gospel song that she turned into an uplifting singalong, and – always a highlight – Sippie Wallace’s Woman Be Wise before entertaining with one of her own and the tour namesake Just Like That.

Raitt told the crowd that she hadn’t written many of the songs included on her setlist, but it was clear that it has always been her skills as a song stylist that has set her apart. This was never truer than on Angel From Montgomery, which she dedicated to its author – the late John Prine.

For Nick Of Time she slid over the stage to play the piano, before Shirley Eikhard’s Something To Talk About was given an airing.

With the set winding down, Raitt closed it out with Livin’ For The Ones and a fabulous version of Annie Lennox’s Little Bird.

For the encore there was a beautiful version of I Can’t Make You Love Me, which was in itself a musical masterpiece, and Love Letter, before the R&B chug of Never Make Your Move To Soon provided a suitably honky-tonk finish to a stellar night in Nottingham for a legendary blueswoman who definitively proved that she’s nowhere near done.

About The Author

Kevin Cooper

Kevin Cooper is a music journalist and writer, known for his work at the Nottingham Post. He has written articles and provided photography for the Nottingham Post, particularly covering music events.

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