The once angelic Charlotte Church brought a little bit of devilish glee to Manchester when her Late Night Pop Dungeon occupied New Century.
Over the last six years or so, Charlotte Church’s Late Night Pop Dungeon has become a festival season highlight drawing major crowds in fields across the UK each summer. Sadly, Church has decided to bring the curtain down on the festivities with Friday evening’s show being part of the Dungeon’s farewell tour.
Previewing the gigs, Church along with her incredibly capable troupe of musicians and backing singers teased a festive tinge to their performances. It came but unapologetically in Dungeon fashion.
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The show, packed with covers of artists from 10CC to Azelia Banks, opened in a wholesome enough way with Church's backing singers offering a rendition of Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You. Only for it to come crashing down, rather wonderfully, with the proclamation ‘it’s Charlotte f***ing Church’.
The childhood operatic swinger then swaggered on to the New Century stage, under the venues many, many lightbulbs, wearing hot pants, fishnets and knee high boots paired with a sparkly jacket and baseball cap. Church, 36, sang as her group performed Nine Inch Nail’s Closer. It is fair to say, the show was never going to be a festive PG affair and the Manchester crowd didn’t mind one bit.
For all its brilliant brashness, the Dungeon is unmistakably and unwaveringly a joyous celebration of music in all its forms and genres. Those managing to keep count of the artists and covers aired deserve their own sequined sparkly jacket but Church, a charismatic lead for the group, and her greatly-talented band went from Destiny’s Child’s Survivor to Bee Gees’ Stayin’ Alive, via the ET theme and Home Alone megamix, with great aplomb.
The crowd, many of whom looking like they’d been rolled in glitter and handed a bottle of Prosecco, were loving what they were hearing. At times, Church had the opportunity to effortlessly show that distinctive vocal range which helped make her a household name in her teenage years with her performance of Jennifer Rush’s Power of Love being a set highlight.
Although, what was evidently apparent was there’s no ego to be found, with Church regularly deferring the vocal lead duties to her backing singers with each getting their chance to shine. Something which felt like a real authentic celebration of the collective encapsulating the Pop Dungeon spirit.
An hour-and-a-half of cover after cover after cover quickly came to a close and while the cries of ‘Crazy Chick, Crazy Chick’, referencing Church’s 2005 solo pop hit, went unanswered it was hard for the masses to go home disappointed.
Taking a bow, Welsh queen Church told the Manc crowd they’d been ‘lush’ and wished them a ‘f***ing fabulous Friday’. Hopefully, one day, those who linger deep in the Pop Dungeon may reconvene for a freakishly good night of fun.
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