Bassey is
Poles Apart from the Obvious
From Birmingham Post, by Michael Simm, 10 June 2003
How can a star go wrong when she gets a standing ovation even before she's sung
a note?
But then this was the one and only Dame Shirley Bassey at 66 celebrating an
astonishing 50 years in showbusiness since she signed her first contract at
sweet 16.
Clearly confident of a great sound - not always the case at the NEC - she
launched straight into one of her aces - Goldfinger.
And 10,000 fans revelled in the fact they were effectively being given 'The kiss
of life... from Mrs Gold Singer' .
With a 20-piece band probably offering 500 years of musical experience behind
her this was a night when every song was note-perfect.
But the mark of a great entertainer is that perfection is also Fun with a
capital F.
"Did you get it?" She asked with a wiggle of her hips, halfway through Big
Spender.
This, on a night when the misguided would have been down at the city's
lap-dancing clubs thinking that you need poles for sexual entertainment.
Her 90-minute set was packed with all of her golden greats from Something to As
Long As He Needs Me, Never, Never, Never, I (Who Have Nothing) and Diamonds are
Forever.
If Shirley has a weakness compared with fellow Welsh star Tom Jones it's that
she has not really developed her act in recent years, though History Repeating
was evidence from as recently as 1997 that she could still be a major singles
chart star if she really wanted to be.
Her fans, many of whom would have enjoyed last night's show simply because
Shirley is their parents' favourite, probably wouldn't want her any other way.