Having rescheduled his 50th-anniversary live tour due to COVID, Leo Sayer finally bounced into St David’s Hall in Cardiff, kicking off his packed set to an adoring – albeit very loud – crowd. As a consummate professional, he easily conversed with his fans and was genuinely funny, and self-deprecating to boot. Sayer’s massive back catalogue of hits were effortlessly delivered, with a voice barely unaltered with time. At 74 years of age, he looked, well, the same as ever.
That cheeky persona and relaxed chat interspersed such classics as When I Need You – which resulted in an epic singalong – Thunder In My Heart, The Show Must Go On, More Than I Can Say and – of course – You Make Me Feel Like Dancing, which appropriately had everyone up on their feet. Bounding around the stage, Sayer was clearly enjoying being in Cardiff and performing to such a lively audience.
This was one of the most joyous and fun gigs that I have been to for a while: a genuine trip through the decades, with a polished performer and band treating us to songs from his new album Northern Songs – a collection of 19 Beatles hits delivered Leo Sayer style in tribute to his icons. In his own words, “The Beatles were, and still are, in my humble opinion, the true musical geniuses of our age, and will always be my eternal inspiration.”
A brilliant two-hour set, the evening was full of fun, wit and plenty of dancing – and an encore which ended with Just A Boy, finishing off a great show. Leo Sayer is an epic live performer, one still sounding as good as he did in his heyday.
Leo Sayer, St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Fri 30 Sept
words ANTONIA LEVAY