Live Review: Alabama Shakes, Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires

Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires instantly captivated the audience as they entered the stage and the energy was maintained throughout their exhilarating performance. Bradley honestly gave all there was to offer, a fantastic seven-piece band – including brass instruments to aid in funk delivery, an outstanding performance aura… and… and… that voice – the power, the passion, the soul. Bradley is one of those rare performers who can convey his pain and experience through his voice; you can truly feel what he feels. Bradley, in his chocolate-coloured suit, gave us songs to groove to – Confusion where he did exactly that, proving that at 66 he’s lost nothing of his physical ability. During Let Love Stand A Chance, a self-proclaimed favourite, Bradley enlightened the crowd with his wise words, sharing life and love advice for the listeners. He exited with his fingers pressed into a heart, a sign that the audience sent right back to him.

At first lead singer Brittany Howard’s vocals were a little too quiet compared to the instrumental sounds. However this was rectified early on. Alabama Shakes played a few teasers including the one that begins with that piercing screech, Don’t Wanna Fight, from their soon to drop second album, Sound & Color. They entertained us with some of the stuff from their first album, as well as single, Always Alright, a definite crowd pleaser. Alabama Shakes played a 90-minute set of poignant belters, including the five-minute frenzied break before the encore. However, devoted fans were left hanging as they waited for their Alabama Shakes favourites, Hold On and Hang Loose, arguably two of their best tracks, which regrettably never came. It’s rare for the support act to outshine the headliners, though it would be a lie to say it wasn’t a close call.