Jimmy Nail De Montfort Hall, Leicester Wednesday, November 10 1999 Review

Steve England (Leicester Mercury)

It was 20 months ago, virtually to the day, that Jimmy Nail last visited Leicester on tour. I said at the time that his was an accomplished act. For a man who admittedly did not want to tour at this time, he certainly brought some new and exciting ideas into his performance. This was cabaret entertainment out of the top drawer and the numbers he sang to perfection were softer, folksy and bluesy. It took just a little time for him to build a rapport with his audience (perhaps he had forgotten the reception he received last time). But, with the use of a book containing questions posed by members of the assembled beforehand, which he amusingly and truthfully answered, he was able to build on the one-to-one relationship between songs. Those songs included Love Don't Live Here Anymore (a new arrangement), Once Upon A Time and the opening two numbers Tadpoles in a Jar and Cowboy Dreams. No Family numbers this time, but he did sing Crocodile Shoes (of course) and the one with which he has an exceptionally close affinity, Big River. Jimmy explained that, in a way, this was an experiment – his three musicians used instruments rarely seen, but put to good effect. In addition, the clever use of lighting contributed to a lasting experience of musical colours.