The sun had been well and truly soaked up while the jam-packed audience was simply drenched as Sheryl Crow was given a wet and wild welcome to the magnificent setting of Halifax’s Piece Hall.
But the incessant downpour and chilly climes were quickly forgotten as the American superstar took to the stage set within the confines of the world’s last-remaining former Georgian cloth hall.
Just 60 miles away along the M62, Taylor Swift was thrilling audiences at the first of three night’s at Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium – but the megastar would be among the first to pay homage to the Missouri-born trailblazer Crow, whose astonishing wall of hits was given a full airing across a sensational one hour and 40 minute set.
Opening with the 2006 hit from the Disney Cars movie Real Gone, Crow was instantly in the driving seat – taking a super-slick five-piece band along for the ride.
The next run of tracks A Change Would Do You Good, Run, Baby Run, and breakthrough smash All I Wanna Do would signal the crowd-pleasing encore for most artists, but here they just sit comfortably amid a sensational 17-song set.
Sporting slick leather flared trousers and matching jacket, Crow belies her 62 years as she struts around with an ever-changing array of guitars as confidentially as she did back in the 1990s.
Revealing a recent conversation with Billy Joel, she tells the audience how the fellow legend asked her “do you know the right time in your set to play a new song?” before revealing the answer: “Never! Just give ‘em the hits.”
Crow, however, promptly chooses to ignore the sage advice and plays the title track from her new album Evolution. It’s the solitary deviation from the barrage of hits but fails to spark any great rush for the bar (or loo) as the strength of the new tune comfortably holds its own alongside the evergreen classics.
A worthy nod from the star to the evening’s opening act Dea Matrona will have put smiles on the rising stars faces reaching right across the Irish Sea to their Belfast home, with Cole telling us “the future of music is in safe hands” with the thrilling duo.
If It Makes You Happy is stand-out track of the night for this reviewer whilst the rain has ceased and it’s even got a touch warmer as we are treated to Soak Up the Sun and Everyday Is a Winding Road before an encore of Steve McQueen and I Shall Believe brings a fabulous evening to a close.
Set List
- Real Gone
- A Change Would Do You Good
- Run, Baby Run
- All I Wanna Do
- My Favorite Mistake
- Leaving Las Vegas
- Strong Enough
- Be Myself
- Evolution
- Digging in the Dirt
- The First Cut Is the Deepest
- There Goes the Neighborhood
- If It Makes You Happy
- Soak Up the Sun
- Everyday Is a Winding Road
- Steve McQueen
- I Shall Believe