The first thing to strike me as we walked into the dingy room that is Northumbria University's "Stage Two" was just how mixed the assembled masses were. The place was jam-packed, with lots of students from the city's two university guzzling beer alongside arty thirty-something year olds who'd clearly heard that is the "next big thing" and middle-aged (generally highly overdressed) jazz fans who must have seen Amy in the broadsheets and decided to sample something a bit more "contemporary." Still, the atmosphere was friendly despite the drinks being extortionate and the wine "of a rather poor quality" (according to one of the aforementioned middle-aged jazz fans).
The warm-up act came courtesy of Amy's good buddy Tyler James. As he strode onto the stage looking bashful and boyish, my friend commented "I didn't realise Will Young was supporting." Yes, this guy looks like he has the same stylist as Will Young; think oversize jeans, white t-shirt and bespoke suit jacket, but, my gosh, the guy can sing. He burst into a few bouncy numbers that really demonstrated his vocal talents, and though his performance wasn't quite as polished as a seasoned professional, he's certainly one to watch. Before his last track kicked in, he commented that it was co-written with "a certain Amy" which prompted a ripple of "Ooooooohs" around the crowd. Shying away from the mic with a smile on his face, somebody in the crowd begged "Is that what they call it these days?!" to which the response was a toothy grin and a quiet "Not telling!" Make what you will of that...
A lengthy break followed Tyler James' stint with a seemingly endless sound check to boot. Some time later, just as the crowd were beginning to look restless, the lights dimmed and Amy emerged looking confident and careless and sporting a rather small but pretty dress, her long tousled hair looking decidedly less coifed than usual. After thanking the crowd for attending (You lot ‘ave like paid to see me man, wow!"), she begun a set that included pretty much every record on her recent album "Frank" and a running commentary on what they were about. Her rendition of "Take the Box" had tears in my eyes as did "Stronger than Me," though her voice managed it a lot better than my early morning in-the-shower sing-a-long generally does. This girl has serious talent. Listening to her album simply doesn't prepare you for the live version. One can't help but feel that the emotion behind the songs is lost on Frank, whereas with Amy belting them out in front of you, it becomes clear that every song is real. I can't pretend to have experienced half of the things that Amy sings about but clearly, she has, and she's not afraid to shout about it.
Moreover, though notoriously impatient with the press, it also became apparent that there's more to than perhaps meets the eye and than the press would have you believe. As she re-arranged her breasts in her revealing, plunged-necked dress and toyed with her hair and microphone, Amy was displaying none of the "stuck-up" behaviour that folk in the media keep reporting. Yes, she's confident. Threateningly so at times (I wouldn't fancy being her ex, that's for sure), but when she fell up the stairs on her way back to the stage for the encore and was able to chuckle at herself, I realised that that's not a true representation of what she's like. Here's a girl who can write Ivor Novello-worthy and meaningful lyrics, sing like a soul superstar and charm the pants off a crowd spanning several decades. Of course the press are going to try to knock her down to size. But as long as Amy's feet remain planted firmly on the ground, they sure as hell won't succeed. Nu-jazz, uber-soul, emo-funk I've heard it called a lot of things and pinning a label on 's sound is tricky, but I think we're all agreed; the girl's got style.
Rating: 5/5
Gig Date: 22nd April 2004
Words: Sarah Chapman
Photography: Matt France
