Lee was in fine voice and relaxed mood as he entertained a very appreciative audience in the beautiful Leeds Town Hall. Accompanied by his band (Richie Blake taking Oroh's place on bass on this occasion) and supported again by Niamh Perry, he sang with the power and passion that have become his hallmarks. As Bill Kenwright so often commented during the Any Dream Will Do TV programme, Lee's ability to interpret a song is extraordinary, lifting his performance from that of a great singer to another level entirely.My personal highlights are difficult to choose, the whole concert was exceptional - but I think Anthem (for the goosebumps) and Jesus Christ Superstar (for the raw energy) just edge out One and When You Say Nothing At All and Through the Barricades and, well ... pretty much everything else really, by the tiniest of margins!
Lee does like to ring the changes and in Leeds it seems he was in talkative mood ... an impromptu Q&A yielded questions about his plans after Wicked, his concert tour, his ideal role, learning his lines for 'Arthur Conan Doyle' (good question, wrong Arthur!) and his baby daughter, Betsy. His answers can be heard in this audio download.
The running order went a little awry, leading to a wonderful moment when Lee, having invited Niamh back to the stage to sing the numbers he'd earlier skipped on her behalf, let out a loud 'AAAAGGHHHHH' as he disappeared into the wings, clearly audible both to Niamh and to the audience. Cue much laughter ensued and Niamh needing a moment to compose herself ... priceless!
As usual, I include the full setlist with audio clips and, with grateful thanks to Abs, a video bonus! And finally, a few photos (mostly from the second half) that I hope you will enjoy:
Lee's full concert schedule (including past appearances) can be found at - CONCERT DATES
Last updated: 7 November 2014