By Graham Hiley.
Shania Twain – that did impress me… but not quite as much as I expected!
Nothing against the singer who looks and sounds fantastic. Her voice is now fully recovered and stronger than ever; she can sure belt out a tune!
But the opening night of her The Queen of Me tour at the O2 Arena was beset with technical difficulties which meant it was hard to pick up any momentum.
It can’t be easy trying to sing in a mini-skirt and bodysuit with two burly sound guys reaching down the back of her costume to try and adjust the audio box mid-song!
That apart, this was a real crowd-pleasing show as the Canadian country singer rattled through 23 songs – or 27 if you count the snippets cleverly mixed together in Shania’s party playlist!
She opened the 135-minute set with Waking Up Dreaming, performed from a small mobile stage right in front of the accessible seating/wheelchair section, a really nice touch and a treat for those often overlooked at gigs.
With barely a pause for breath she went into Up! Then Don’t be Stupid and I’m Gonna Getcha Good followed by Come on Over, You’re Still the One and Giddy Up!
The audience were hooked and in full party mood as the singer produced all the big hits albeit in slightly disjointed fashion with some lengthy breaks between songs.
Some fans were invited up for selfies with Shania; another brought his mum on stage for a chat. Magic moments for them but so late in the show, it dampened the party atmosphere.
However the pace picked up for a rousing finale Forever and for Always and Rock This Country before the encore, almost inevitably of That Don’t Impress Me Much and Man! I Feel Like a Woman.
At 58 and going strong, She’s Still the One!
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Review and photos: Victorious Festival, Southsea Common, August 25- 27, 2023