When you think of Christmas music, maybe Sophie Ellis Bextor isn’t the first name that comes to mind. Perhaps Slade, Wizard, Mariah Carey, or dare we say it LadBaby might top the list. But on Sunday evening the British chanteuse set out to prove us all wrong as Sophie’s Christmas Kitchen Disco tour descended upon the O2 City Hall in Newcastle.

The Northern Echo: Sophie Ellis-Bextor at O2 City Hall, Newcastle

Concertgoers arrived at the venue sporting their best festive and somewhat sparkly attire as the North East got into the swing of the holiday season, albeit at the end of November.

Aussie opener Holiday Sidewinder was a perfectly fitting start to the proceedings. The Antipodean pop princess delivered a set that featured tracks such as Last Resort from her forthcoming album out next year.  Bedecked in a colourful and stylish dress, Holiday left the Newcastle crowd perfectly warmed up and ready to dance the night away with the headliner on a chilly evening on Tyneside.

Sporting a red Santa hat and matching ensemble, Sophie Ellis Bextor took to the stage to the sounds of Sleigh Ride, bringing the Christmas flavours to the proceedings from early in the show. But it wasn’t long before classics such as Take Me Home and Music Gets the Best of Me got the party started.

Of course, there were frequent costume changes from the off. Furthermore, the show was sprinkled with witty banter, Geordie trivia and even a Wheel of Fortune-style interlude which influenced the artist's setlist.

The Northern Echo: Sophie Ellis-Bextor at O2 City Hall, Newcastle

Due to the festive theme of the evening seasonal numbers punctuated the set list to great effect. Rockin Around The Christmas Tree, Merry Christmas Everyone and Last Christmas by Wham were most welcomed by the O2 City Hall audience. Whilst Sophie’s take on All Night Long by Lionel Ritchie was a party starter for sure.

The disco hits came in thick and fast in the latter stages of the show with summer anthem Groovejet, an ovation garnering performance of Crying at the Discoteque, and a hip-shaking rendition of Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer all featuring. Whilst Murder on the Dancefloor was always going to be a highlight at the end of the show.

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And if the final song of the evening was anything to go by, Sophie perfectly ushered in the holiday season by serenading the Newcastle audience from the balcony with a beautiful acapella take on Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas that was enough to thaw out even the biggest Grinch.

 

Sophie, it might take until the New Year for Newcastle to Get Over You.