Live Review: Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

The divine Miss Jones is all that – worth the hype, the carry on and the sore feet. All of those things she proclaimed from the stage and were shared by the audience (we only sat briefly, and even then, the toe tapping was vigorous), with the energy coming from the stage infectious to say the least. Her ten-piece backing, including the glorious Dap -King instrumentalists and fantastic Dap-ette vocalists, opened with a mixture of standards and contemporary genre pieces, before Jones shimmied onto stage sporting a silver tassled dress.

Over the next couple of hours of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, the gig was clearly led by Jones, but the call and response was collaborative. Taking every opportunity she could to engage the audience, Jones didn't talk, but dictated her stage directions and mid-show banter to us with song. Going through everything from her history of movement to relationship no-nos (you can “window shop”; everyone looks, but it's how you do it), best was the warmth with which she invited various audience members up to share her spotlight. At first it was strapping young lads for her to slowdance to and with (Natural Born Lover was given flavour with local accessories). A particular highlight was when she invited five girls to get their groove on during Keep On Looking, complete with letting them 'dance' off stage with her (well done, ladies, you made her, and us, look great!). As well as old faves, the show also featured some impressive new tunes like New Shoes and Retreat, and as she sang “I don't wanna go” during the encore, we had to agree. A cracking start to the new year.