Will Young: Newcastle City Hall

THE man I used to call “Wistful Will” is no more – having returned to the limelight with a spring in his step he has clearly used the time to perfect his dance moves.

Sporting a black sleeveless all-in-one jumpsuit with ridiculously flared trousers that bore a frightening resemblance to a vicar’s cassock, he shimmied around the stage like the Robbie Williams of the soul world. He kicked off with Brave Man, amid a whirlwind of confetti to add to the drama.

He frequently took time out to indulge in some camp, light-hearted banter with the crowd, preferring to leave the serious stuff to his songs in contrast, as he reminded us of his well-loved classics such as Light My Fire and Your Game (intercut with a haunting sampling of Love to Love You Baby), as well as fresher offerings such the Like A River which blended in perfectly. The foot-stomping Switch It On brought the crowd to their feet, however the highlight for me had to be the powerful Jealousy. Having successfully whipped the crowd into a frenzy, a sea of waving arms aloft, he cleverly chose that moment to leave the stage. The beautiful Who Am I was saved for the encore, which to me summed up all of Will Young’s talent in one go, his sorrowful but commanding voice combined with his cheeky, boy-next-door image that has taken him into our hearts. The fans were allowed to join him in one final flurry of confetti before he announced his genuine appreciation. Young is like a fine Chardonnay, and gets better with fermenting and maturity, but his gigs are still a good old-fashioned fun night out.

Linda Jobling