Kicking off the night's proceedings for this magical Motown masterpiece was the classic R &B and soul act Tavares, originally formed in 1959. The four-piece band opened their set with 'It Only Takes a Minute' which ironically was the amount of time it took for the audience to stand up and start dancing around to the classic hit. A great way to create a party atmosphere.
Dressed in classic Motown style clothing- black sequined jackets and fuchsia shirts. This lead the audience into a night of pure nostalgia. Classic hits such as 'More Than a Woman' and 'Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel' all got the crowd jigging around in the aisles.
Next up were The Temptations, there is only one remaining original member with The Temptations, Otis Williams, who is in his seventies. The Temptations delivered laser precision harmonies and infectious vocals. Vocalist Larry Briggs impressed the crowd with his vocal range which was effortlessly delivered.
The Temptations opened their set with 'Get Ready', then from there on in this was a blast from the past with their glorious Motown sound. In no time at all they had belted out 'Papa Was a Rolling Stone' and 'Treat Her Like a Lady'. Obviously, the band were going to wait until the end of their set to perform their biggest hit 'My Girl', which sounded just as good live as it ever has.
However, the night belonged to The Four Tops with their powerful vocals and infectious melodies. 'Baby I Need Your Loving' kicked off their set into nearly an hours worth of Motown hits. As per usual the Four Tops had dressed in their customary classic style of black shirts and purple jackets.
Hit after hit followed from the Holland-Dozier-Holland song writing archives, songs such as 'Same Old Song', 'Standing in The Shadows of Love' and 'Bernadette' all performed faultlessly by The Four Tops, although strictly speaking only one of the original Four Tops is still in the group. Abdul 'Duke' Fakir is the only original member and he even told the Birmingham crowd “You can't imagine how glad I am to be here”. Fingers crossed that he continues for many years to be successful.
The mega Motown hits such as 'Reach Out I'll Be There' and 'I Can't Help Myself' were saved until the final section of the show. The Four Tops finished with 'Loving You is Sweeter Than Ever'. Leaving the audience in awe of a genre of music that has worked its way into that special place in music history. The Four Tops, The Temptations and Tavares managed to bring some Motown magic to Birmingham. Hopefully, it won't be too long before they do the same again soon.
FUTURE GIGS
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