Gabrielle’s backstory – childhood bullying, a suicide attempt and a tabloid feeding frenzy after a former boyfriend was jailed for murder – shouldn’t lend itself to success or longevity in the music business. However, 30 years after the south Londoner’s first single, Dreams, reached No 1, her 30 Years of Dreaming tour is a testament to her survival.
The largely but not entirely retrospective show itself is a good-time old school soul revue. There are audience handclaps, requests from the singer to “let me see your hands”, and she amusingly but accurately describes songs as either “booty shakers” or “hip shakers” (the latter are more gently danceable than the former).
