Gig review: Jane McDonald at First Direct Bank Arena, Leeds
The West Yorkshire-born TV star glitters in an emotional evening before an arena audience.
Wakefield’s Jane McDonald has sang her way through the bars of Wild Wild Westgate and cruised the world, landing most recently in Nashville to record her top ten album Living The Dream – which also reached number in the UK Independent Albums Chart.
To a sold-out Yorkshire homecoming filmed for an upcoming TV performance, the esrtwhile Loose Women presenter wrapped up her Living The Dream tour with country and disco, laughter and tears as she took her audience through a variety packed show of not only her superb vocals but her charm and wit which has won audiences over for decades.
The Queen of Yorkshire – who sprang to fame in 1998 in the TV series The Cruise – channeled her inner Dame Shirley Bassey, sat at the piano for a moment of reflection and covers of Dolly Parton, and got all ages standing for her covers of more contemporary pop singers RAYE, Pussycat Dolls and Bruno Mars.
Her loyal subjects, dressed for a night on the town in cowboy hats and sequins, were delighted to hear and sing along to the likes of Don’t Mind If I Do, I’ll Not Be Beaten and a rousing rendition of Dolly Parton’s I Will Always Love you.
The stunning and emotional How Do I Move On brought the house down. It was was a moment for McDonald to take in all that she had set out to achieve and rightly take a moment to shed a tear of joy with the audience.
Costume changes, streamers and confetti, a three-piece brass band – McDonald had pulled out all the tricks for a truly wonderful full circle career highlight lap of honour.
Give the lass her own chance at a Bond theme next, because this diamond is forever.