Gig review: Sananda Maitreya Live at Leeds Beckett University
The American singer has lost none of his cocksure swagger and attitude and still possesses a stunning voice.
It has been 23 long years since his last UK tour but Sananda Maitreya was finally back where he belonged in more intimate venues as he reintroduced himself to many who thought he’d long disappeared from the scene.
Disappeared to those in the mainstream perhaps, but those in the know revelled in the nine studio albums he has crafted over the last 20 years, each more ambitious and extravagant than the last.
Any fears of being destined for the ‘where are they now’ file were quickly dispelled as the hall at Leeds Beckett University was rammed to the rafters with people, many who had travelled from far beyond the usual catchment area of Leeds and it was easy to see why.
Maitreya had lost none of his cocksure swagger and attitude decked in red leather trousers and still possesses a potent voice that can soothe and caress the soul one minute and rev it up and shake it about the next.
He also has a canny arsenal of songs to choose from ranging from the huge hits of the 80s including Wishing Well and the supercharged Dance Little Sister from his chart-topping, multi-platinum ‘Introducing he Hardline According to... classic to the gorgeous ballads, Sign Your Name and Delicate.
Yet there is so much more to Maitreya than those well known hits. The Funkadelic slam-dunk of Supermodel Sandwich simply strutted its Funky stuff while Vibrator and She Kissed Me delivered a sucker punch of razor-sharp guitar riffs and Yuki Suzuki basked in a psychedelic glow.
O’Davina and Pretty Baby, the latter from his latest Pegasus Project release, harked back to a golden era of classic soul while still sounding fresh and contemporary brought to life by Maitreya’s stunning velvet-coated voice.
Spread across two sets, his two hour show touched every base across his four decade career and thrilled the audience with a display of pure showmanship and supreme class. It may have taken 23 years to return but it’s better late than never. Forget Oasis, the return of Sananda Maitreya to the stage may well be the comeback of the decade.