RONNIE SPECTOR & THE RONETTES | LIVE REVIEW
Tramshed, Cardiff, Fri 25 Jan
When Ronnie Spector escaped from ex-husband and musical maestro Phil’s multi-million dollar mansion in 1974, after six years of control and abuse, she perhaps never could have imagined that forty years later she’d be the one touring the world while he rotted in a prison cell. The Ronettes tour is more than just a musical treat, more than just a solid ‘wall of sound’: it’s a celebration of woman power from the trio (only Ronnie remains, although her new Ronettes bring as much character and class as the first two) who invented everything that Destiny’s Child relied on to launch their career.
Opening with a string of 60s classics (Brian Wilson’s Don’t Worry Baby stood out) as the Tramshed’s crowd gathered closer, tapping their feet and shaking their shoulders, Ronnie turned things around entirely at the midpoint with a surprise rendition of Christmas classic Sleigh Ride from her ex’s popular festive collection A Christmas Gift For You – the album that provides the soundtrack to many a movie and to even more seasonal gatherings.
At the three-quarter point, Ronnie talked directly to the crowd, melting hearts with stories from a stool in centre stage, but she soon got back into the swing – and the soul – of things as she rose to her feet and built towards the climax. That being, of course, The Ronettes’ superhit Be My Baby: the powerful, pacing peach of a record which underlined classic movies from Dirty Dancing to Mean Streets. And when it came it was delivered with passion and punch, both from the performers on stage and those in the crowd. What a closer.
But Ronnie wasn’t happy to end things there. When she returned to the stage, roared back on by the masses, the screen at the back of the stage no longer displayed the stunning stills of 60s nostalgia that had provided a visual backdrop to the evening, but instead showed images of Amy Winehouse. The link made sense: the beehive, the bad-girl attitude, the connection to a new audience. And Ronnie bestowed plenty of praise upon Amy’s legacy. It was a refreshing spin to see a vintage artist lay such credit and respect onto a modern day performer.
The message was clear – woman power has come full circle. And in Ronnie Spector’s new world of retro rock’n’roll, there’s no room for rivalry.
words and photos JON SUTTON