LEE MEAD .. SOME ENCHANTED EVENINGFor this, the most westerly date on Lee's 2015 tour, there were fewer familiar faces in the audience but no less warm a welcome awaiting him and Amanda. With no sign of the tiredness he later confessed to, after the 7 hour journey from Southend, and every sign that he was enjoying himself immensely, Lee gave perhaps the best performance of the tour to date. But such judgements are always subjective and largely unnecessary in any case as the gap between 'best' and the rest is so very small.
He was certainly vocally excellent, the banter flowed fast and funny without exploring too many tangents, while the more touching stories behind some of the songs were delivered simply and honestly with a directness that is, in my experience, a rarity amongst performers. So much of the collective response to this show lies in the emotional connection Lee so clearly feels to the carefully selected songs, while the individual response is coloured by the personal emotional connection he stirs in each person present... and for me, on this night, he did a Heineken, reaching parts other performers don't reach!
For those who like to read the fine print, I include a full setlist, with notes of the musical films in which the songs first appeared.
And finally, huge thanks to Lee's fabulous band - led by his long-time musical director (and album producer) Mason Neely on drums, guitar and occasional ukulele, with Ashley Long on bass, Rhys Taylor on clarinet, flute and sax, and Michael Riley (aka Joe!) on piano.
There are only four dates remaining on this amazing the tour - Yeovil 25 October, Winchester 8 November, Lichfield 21 November and the grand Christmas finale at London's Garrick Theatre on 6 December (if you were there last year, you'll know why this is so eagerly anticipated!). While many of these wonderful songs will be on Lee's new album (due for release in Spring 2016 but available for pre-order now!), others, including the sublime Feeling Good, don't make the final cut, so... if you want to hear them all (and trust me, you DO want to hear them all), you'll have to see them live! There are tickets available for all remaining shows, but the November dates in particular are already very well sold, so don't hang about!
Remaining tour dates and Lee's full concert schedule (including past appearances) can be found at - CONCERT DATES
First published: 5 October 2015