Live Review: Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings

There’s a relaxed atmosphere at The Tivoli tonight as the first weekend of spring promises the kind of warm and balmy September that Earth, Wind & Fire would be proud of.

Inside, men wear patterned suit jackets and chat to women in handmade dresses. Their stylish yet practical clothing reveals that this audience is here ready to dance. A poster promises a ten-piece Bollywood surf soul funk superstar group as the opening act and though the crowd suspects this is instead the Dap Kings and The Dappettes, they stand around in the comfortably-filled venue as the night languidly drifts towards a late hour.

The audience has worn in the soles of their shoes by the time the lights dim and Ennio Morricone’s theme from The Good, The Bad And The Ugly whistles through the room like an approaching train. The Dap Kings take to the stage looking as dapper as ever. Emcee and guitarist Binky Griptite gives a smooth introduction to warm up the crowd, as the band runs through a few instrumental rhythms. They’re experienced performers and tonight’s show is all about working the crowd.

Saun and Starr are next to take the stage, the backup singers joining the band to perform their original material as The Dappettes. They encounter some brief microphone trouble at the start of their set, but are soaring by the time Saun leads the way through the sultry sounds of Gonna Make Time.

The star of tonight’s revue is welcomed with another soul monologue from Griptite, before Sharon Jones enters the stage in a glittery dress that reflects the light like a mirror ball. The Georgian singer beams at the crowd, her smile almost outshining her dress, and kicks the show off with the upbeat, swinging Stranger To My Happiness. She sticks to new material for the next song, You’ll Be Lonely, and invites a dancing audience member up onto the stage for New Shoes.

Let Them Knock is the first slower song for the evening as Jones takes the opportunity to stretch her voice out and play around with some vocal aerobatics. She alternates between slow-burning love songs and fast, up-tempo numbers, with the crowd firmly entranced by her powerhouse vocals. He Said I Can, People Don’t Get What They Deserve and Tell Me are all chances for the middle-aged dancers in the audience to shake their bodies to a rhythm, whether or not it’s the one the band is actually playing.

Going out on a high note, Jones works Get Up And Get Out into the kind of fervent limb-shaking that The Isley Brothers’ Shout induces. She gets a little bit louder still for 100 Days, 100 Nights, which is exactly how long we wish this show would go on for.