Review: Leona Lewis at Metro Radio Arena

Jun 26 2010 by Angela Upex, The Journal

EMOTION-PACKED power ballads and glorious dresses, it can mean only one thing – Leona Lewis.

The former X Factor winner came to Tyneside as part of her first-ever tour.

The show opened with a dramatic set featuring a Gothic castle, trapeze artists and half-naked dancers wearing elaborate headgear complete with horns.

Her amazing set was meant to echo her favourite film, Labyrinth.

Leona emerged with a black cape and hood, thigh-lengths boots and a shimmering black and silver mini-skirt, with giant images of herself projected on screens.

She kicked off the night with Brave and her soaring vocals shushed the audience, mainly made of 20-somethings and mums and dads with youngsters in tow.

Her concert delivered ballad after ballad including her biggest songs, Whatever it Takes, I Got You, Bleeding Love. She also sang Happy in an amazing peacock blue ballgown.

For me the highlight of the show was her rendition of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, made famous by Roberta Flack.

Everyone was on their feet, just stunned by her vocals.

And she delivered a clever acoustic version of Justin Timberlake’s Cry Me A River surrounded by her backing singers in her fairyland grotto.

But it wasn’t just the slow numbers that the audience lapped up.

The tempo went up with Outta My Head and there was another nod to electropop nostalgia with the Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams, plus her classic cover of Run by Snow Patrol.

Leona isn’t as flamboyant as Ga Ga or as energetic as Beyonce, but she put on her a great show and her loyal fans were beaming as they left the Arena.