Gladys Knight, The Civic, February 13th 2020: Concert Review

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75-year-old Gladys Knight was in peak form at Auckland’s Civic Theatre last night dazzling the adoring audience with all her classic hits. Caitlin Smith files this review, with photos by Rachel Webb.———————

Gladys Knight isn’t just a singer to me, she is THE singer. She was the voice I most related to and resonated with growing up. I’ve seven of her albums on vinyl and she sings straight into my heart. I’m known to belt out ‘I Feel A Song In My Heart’ or ‘On and On’. I love her. I believe her and feel that her emotions are directly and honestly expressed. There is no artifice, no bullshit, no bravado or posturing. Knight has a voice so soulful and genuine that I’d choose her as my favourite over and above any other: Aretha, Whitney, almost all of the contemporary R&B singers… they just aren’t in her league!! This is simply because she is real… and she believes the world would be a better place if we all got real too.

She exudes a deep Love for humanity and music – it beams from her like a transmission tower; a Class A example of authenticity, feeling the Spirit and living in Faith. This is rare, even for Gospel artists. Brought up Baptist (since 1998, Church of Latter Day Saints / Mormon) and singing Gospel from the age of four, she’s had a HUGE career that includes film and television roles, 38 albums, multiple Grammy awards, an honorary doctorate, #1 hits, duets with Ray Charles and all the greats…. Hell, she is a great: The Empress of Soul, and we were so lucky to have seen this living legend.

Entering The Civic, I overheard a woman telling her friend how ‘dissappointed’ she was with Dionne Warwick in concert. I remember how gutted I was during a Roberta Flack gig that was so bad it was embarrassing. So, like a lot of other punters, I was trepidatious about what state Knight would be in.

Our fears were totally unfounded. The spritely 75-year-old (Grandmother of 17, Greatgrandmother of 10!) delivered a scorching 19 song non-stop tour de force of ‘real’ musical Nitty Gritty. She was spectacular!! She looked beautiful. Her smile put the stars of the Civic’s ceiling to shame. She was in fine voice, strong and well-pitched, with a massive dynamic range, she danced and chatted between songs with impeccable timing, wit, sass and good humour.

I must fess up that I am obsessed with reading artist autobiographies. I read Aretha Franklin’s Aretha: From These Roots and she was specifically bitchy about Gladys Knight. Honestly, Aretha came across as an entitled egoistic brat! Within a year, Gladys Knight’s autobiography Between Each Line of Pain and Glory: My Life Story came out and it was like these women were from completely different planets, even though they sang the same gospel circuits at the same time. Gladys has a ‘down home’ Georgia warmth, is super-tight with her family, humble, devout and genuinely sweet and honest (and she hasn’t had an easy life by any means!) I almost felt like I knew her already.

The killer band weren’t properly introduced, but they were spectacular! There were two transparent Perspex cages, one for the inobtrusive Darrel on drums and the other for Elijah(?) on percussion; 3 backing vocalists (Portia, Alexia and Sharantay?); two keyboardists (including Leon Turner the MD, Yugo); the thunderous Joey on bass; James on guitars and Gladys. At times it felt like she had more energy than all the others, who were predominantly seated.

The band were understandably tighter and funkier than a Mosquito’s Tweeter (as Nina Simone would say). The reharmonisations, arrangements, segues and modulations were tasty-as (… even if at times, schmaltzy. We love that about Gladys Knight…. It’s GLADYS KNIGHT!!!)

There were omissions to the setlist, notably ‘If I was your woman’, but nobody would complain with this stellar show. A personal highlight was 1989’s James Bond theme License To Kill which I know from experience is a ‘killer’ song to sing. She made it sound effortless, and always, meaningful.

Back in the day, it was rare to have a strong female lead with three male backing vocalists as she did. She is a wholesome, wise and grounded role model. As befits her faith, Wikipedia states that “In a 2014 interview she expressed a hope that women would “Stand Up” and stop selling sex in the music/entertainment industry. She commented that the growing trend saddened her heart and that she had been taught to dress respectfully for her audiences.”

Interesting to note that she sang at Michael Jackson’s funeral in 2009 (‘His Eye is on the Sparrow’ and ‘The Lord’s Prayer’) and worked with Tito and Randy Jackson, a famously Mormon household.

She said “I can feel your strength and your Spirit” … “you’re a blessing to me”. And you felt it, ‘cause she feels it. In relation to her repertoire “I choose my songs for the lyrical content”…”I’ve got to believe it before you can believe it” … and subsequently, you do! She’s humble. She’s sweet and unlike so many other pretenders and attention seekers, she’s not at all a diva. What a treat! If you get the chance, you MUST see Gladys Knight.

~Caitlin Smith

Click any image to see a gallery from 13th Floor Photographer, Rachel Webb.

Setlist

  1. Love Overboard
  2. Nitty Gritty / Let’s Dance, Let’s Shout (Michael Jackson Cover)
  3. With Every Beat of My Heart
  4. You’re the Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me
  5. Stay with Me (Sam Smith Cover
  6. Save The Overtime for Me / Never Too Much (Luther Vandross Cover)
  7. Part Time Love
  8. I’ve Got to Use My Imagination
  9. Heard It Through the Grapevine
  10. License to Kill
  11. Midnight Train to Georgia
  12. If I Could
  13. ? / In the Still of The Night / Lost In The 50s
  14. Why I Love You (Major Cover)
  15. One Hundred Ways (James Ingram Cover)
  16. Natural Woman (Carole King Cover)
  17. The Way We Were
  18. Neither One of Us
  19. Baby, Don’t Change Your Mind
Caitlin Smith
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