CHARTER THEATRE, PRESTON (2007)
LANCASHIRE EVENING POST (4 May, 2007)
Instead of eternally seeking rock music's Next Big Thing, why not simply revel in what we already have?
It's really not necessary to turn up another aspiring songstress when Elkie Brooks can still hold a note longer than some newcomers can hold No 1 in the charts. The fact that she still does it all with such style and obvious enjoyment made for an abundantly enjoyable Friday night's entertainment.
Having set her own Pearl standard 30 years ago - with the eponymous hit that was welcomed here like an old friend - she's now beyond the Ruby mark in a career that provides her with a rich and well-balanced songbook.
The lady may arrive on stage looking more like
she's come for cocktails, rather than to sing some raucous rock classics, but nobody's fooled for long.
Choose from a slow and sultry take on the Leiber and Stoller classic Love Potion No 9; gilded standards from Gallagher and Lyle, or Russ Ballard; Percy Sledge's Warm and Tender Love; or everything from Billie Holiday via The Doors to Bob Dylan in between.
A searing take on Muddy Waters' He Moves Me showcased the slick talents of her six-strong backing band, but it is Elkie Brooks' distinctive vocals - that have lost none of their Manchester growl - that sets this night apart.
It might have felt even better in a crowded club, but a packed Charter will have recruited several more Elkaholics to her already loyal following.
(By David Upton)
