Live Review: Joss Stone, India.Arie

India.Arie arrives on stage, incandescent in white, flowing layers that she unfurls throughout her performance. The final unveiling is a white head scarf plus wig of long braids, which when unravelled reveal her closely shaved haircut. Arie informs we will start with “a prayer”, and her beautifully poetic arm gestures hypnotise. She often uses the term 'songversation' and tells us tonight's theme is “Give you your flowers.” Her lyrics are inspirational; “Every freckle on my face is where it's supposed to be” (I'm Not Your Average Girl) and every member of her backing band sings up to Arie's own goosebump-inducing standard (drummer Forrest Robinson evokes Stevie Wonder). Arie introduces each band member individually by name and welcomes them into her spotlight. Both guitarist Ricky Quinones and keyboard player Shannon Sanders have been with Arie since her early demos. Segments of Lorde's Royals and Katy Perry's Eye Of The Tiger are expertly worked in to close out a song.
When Arie sings Misty Blue solo, providing her own guitar accompaniment, her voice is as clear as an Icelandic lake. After punters call out for Brown Skin, they are satiated. India.Arie is right, she has built a career not via songs of heartbreak but rather songs that celebrate love. Her overall message is to be courageous enough to be yourself irrespective of societal expectation. Arie's main set ends as it began, with a prayer: Ready To Love. There's a lengthy standing ovation. During the encore, Arie's mum joins the band on stage wearing a clinging camo dress and matching headband. As soon as she takes the mic we realise her daughter's pipes are genetic. When each singer takes their last opportunity to showcase what God's gifted to them, the results are so spine-tingling we feel as if listening to such beauty has to extend our lifespans in some way. Another well deserved standing ovation. India.Arie heals us with her luminous spirit. Speechless punters shuffle out of the auditorium to process what they've just experienced.
The second act of this double headline show starts with just a spotlit bassist before three backing vocalists – one male, two female – join in. Then on breezes Joss Stone, rocking denim cut-offs held up by a sparkly scarf (worn as belt), spangly singlet and (obligatory) bare feet. Her body is like a gazelle and Stone's long, cascading beachy blonde curls complete the look. Oh, and of course she's wearing an anklet. Three songs in, Stone covers Womack & Womack's Teardrops. Stone's calls for crowd involvement are forced, and she loves encouraging audience members to invade the aisles, much to the chagrin of security guards. Eventually, she travels out to us, doing a lap of the stalls and pausing to sing in the aisle halfway up. Fell In Love With A Boy, Super Duper Love (Are You Diggin On Me?) Pt 1 and Drive All Night are highlights, with Stone's charming banter supplying backstories and inspiration.
Stone's voice defies her elk-like stature and all of the musicians onstage are world class, but sadly this second set suffers badly by comparison tonight, coming across as a tad frivolous when held up against Arie's supreme substance. Stone announces that her final song is about “he who shall not be named” (Voldemort?) and all leave the stage bar her guitarist. At song's close, the pair saunter off. House lights up. It's a very abrupt finish. No standing ovation.