Live Review: Maxwell

No warm-up act, just DJs Craig G and Mz Rizk playing Maxwell heyday, era-appropriate tunes. During intermission, ice creams and waters are being sold - by canteen staff - from the aisles. An audience member is sighted sculling from a hip flask in his seat (naughty!).

Prince's Kiss plays out in its entirety after the house lights dim as a fitting tribute. The house curtain rising attracts our cheers. A montage of legends, both alive and dead, graces the back screen (Maxwell's heroes, perhaps?) as the band strike up onstage. Then the back screen evokes zooming through the galaxy as Maxwell struts from upstage to downstage centre sporting a smart grey suit and shades. He's still as nimble as fuck on his feet and the stalls are standing midway through the first song. Maxwell constantly directs the spotlight away from himself and toward his marvellous band throughout the evening, often turning his back on the audience to face a soloing musician. He takes off his sunnies and then takes a seat on a stool, the audience following suit. "A good friend of mine Daniel Merriweather is from Melbourne, Australia," Maxwell shares. He then ad libs a song of thanks accompanied only by piano (lyrics include something about waking up with "stinky breath" and making love - grossness). Hostage is dedicated to all the married audience members. A montage of fallen stars including Muhammad Ali, Prince and (mostly) Chrissie Amphlett accompanies the phenomenally moving This Woman's Work (written by Kate Bush). Maxwell's falsetto is flawless.

There are two keyboardists up onstage and their solo is noteworthy. This evening's running theme, as spoken by Maxwell, is, "Life is so precious". Lake By The Ocean gets us back on our feet (that dance break in the middle of the song where Maxwell slides his legs apart then springs back up to standing calls to mind James Brown). Enough with the, "Aussie-Aussie-Aussie/Oi-Oi-Oi!" call and responses, already! Maxwell hangs back with his backing singers during a sultry trumpet solo while fireworks detonate on the stage's back screen, before back announcing trumpeter Keyon Harrold (who plays Miles Davis in the biopic Miles Ahead).

Maxwell is a superb showman, pointing and singling out individual enthusiasts in the front rows. The crowd singalong when Maxwell signals for the band to cease playing during Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder) is surprisingly tuneful. Maxwell does love taking video footage of the crowd and then gets into the shot himself, telling us it's for his Snapchat. And then after yet another "Aussie-Aussie-Aussie!" they leave the stage. But the house lights don't come on so we remain hopeful. All return to the stage for Pretty Wings, after which Maxwell guides his backing vocalist - who dons a glamorous full-length, silver beaded gown - into the spotlight for our applause. Then all musicians form a line across the front of the stage, each given a chance to introduce him/herself and thank us as the mic is passed down the line. "You've made me believe that the decisions that I made when I was 23 matter now," Maxwell extols, referencing his 20-year career. Filled wine glasses on trays are brought out on stage and the band make a toast to the final night of this tour before departing.