Review: Marti Pellow, The Sage Gateshead

Apr 24 2008 by Barbara Hodgson, The Journal

IF Marti Pellow was in sentimental mood on Tuesday night, his audience were positively lovestruck.

After his support act, talented Danish singer Ulla Harder, set the chilled-out tone, his female fans – and there were many – went wild as soon as the sharp-suited Glaswegian strolled on to the stage of Hall One.

The Wet Wet Wet frontman – who famously kept the band at top of the charts for 15 weeks in 1994 with Love Is All Around – must have felt the emotion reciprocated, not least because one women actually shouted “I love you”.

But this new show, with songs from just-released album Sentimental Me, is a total departure from pop, into jazz-infused classics.

And while the squealing and camera phone flashes continued, one gaggle of women who rushed forward to usurp front row seats then sat in them quietly, not so sure how to act.

For this is a new Marti.

Still genial and charming but more lounge lizard than pop star and this is the music of late nights and smoky bars.

It’s back to basics jazz, with Marti’s own take on songs memorably performed by stars from Frank Sinatra to Tony Bennett: many famous ones such as Summertime, Miss Jones and Summer Wind and others lesser known – at least to me – like the rather lovely You Must Believe In Spring and Lonely Girl.

Backed by five excellent musicians, including award-winning jazz pianist Jim Watson, he gives them new arrangements or makes them very simple and relaxed.

In fact he was so languid and laid back he seemed in danger of slipping off the stool where he perched much of the time at the front of the stage.

And what a voice.

Pop just mustn’t do it justice. His vocal range is remarkable.

From power-packed at times to beautifully soft with some words breathed out like a sigh, and a so-slow-it-almost-stops rendition of I’ve Got You Under My Skin.

It’s a style he could not have carried off 20, even 10, years ago Marti tells us.

And he chatted a lot – about his family, love and growing older – to the audience, a real cross section whom I suspect were one-half Wet fans and one-half true jazz aficionados.

Neither group was disappointed. If this is Marti getting older, it suits him.

The standing ovation at the end of the night said it all.