All Saints, with support from Jetta and Asher Knight, brought their UK tour to Norwich last night to celebrate the release of their fifth album Testament.
Having released their critically acclaimed fifth album Testament in July of this year, All Saints set out on their UK tour stopping at The LCR in Norwich last night. The 11-date tour started at the Cambridge Corn Exchange on November 29 and culminates in Newcastle on December 12.
With five No.1 singles, five hit albums, two BRIT awards and 12 million record sales under their belt, fans of all ages turned out to enjoy a Saturday evening listening to some of their favourite All Saints hits.
Before the pop-quartet arrived, Asher Knight, a 21-year-old singer songwriter from Bradford, turned out to open up the night. He brought with him a guitarist and two backing singers to deliver an upbeat set that warmed up the small crowd who had arrived early.
His set, albeit short, seemed to get a good reaction from the audience and was packed full of energy from Knight and his fellow musicians/singers.
Second to the stage was Jetta, a singer/songwriter and producer from Liverpool. She first received recognition in 2013 when her song Feels Like Coming Home was chosen as the soundtrack for the Google Zeitgeist 2013 – Year in Review which received more than 33 million views.
Jetta is fascinating to watch perform live as she danced and strutted her way around the stage in time to the music.
Accompanying her on stage was her DJ who provided the backing track to the performance and bounced along with as much energy as she had.
Jetta has a unique style and a really great voice to match. Her set was surprisingly good, having never previously heard of her, and really got the audience ready for the headline act of the evening.
Finally, it was time for All Saints to take to the stage. The crowd cheered as the lights went down and they all walked out onto the stage to kick off their performance.
Despite the release of their new album, it was evident from early on that the crowd had come to hear the 90s classics that everyone loved back in the day.
The first half of their set was comprised of a variety of their newest hits, which despite not everyone knowing the words to, still received substantial applause throughout. There was something oddly charming about their deliverance and presence on stage and their new material wasn't all that bad.
It's unlikely that these hits will ever gain as much traction as their classics but they were a great progression whilst still including elements of the original music that everyone fell in love with.
The second half of the set was made up of a collection of their old hits which was what everyone had been waiting for. Songs such as Pure Shoes, Under The Bridge and I Know Where It's At had everyone waving their hands in the air and belting the lyrics back to them.
In classic gig fashion, after finishing their last song and exiting the stage, they once again returned to an enthusiastic crowd to perform an encore. They kept fans waiting right until the end to hear what appeared to be everyone's favourite hit, Never Ever.
We all had the pure joy of witnessing the revival of the old school girl band – sequins, sparkles and choreographed routines included.
They might not be the most polished group or have current chart topping hits but they sure know how to put on a show. They were a joy to watch on stage and it was great to see them enjoying singing together again.
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