Nile Rodgers and Chic, Arena Birmingham - review with pictures

And it was clear we were in the presence of a true superstar when Nile Rodgers took to the stage; his commanding yet charming presence capturing the attention of every member of the audience in seconds, leaving us totally Lost In Music.

“I am a super happy fellow,” beamed Nile, aged 66.

“To be here tonight with you guys is so amazing to me.

“I have so much love for this place because of my boys Duran Duran, it’s like I’m a native son. I hope you feel the same way.”

Strange as it sounds, it was truly thrilling to be in his presence - and the incredible energy he and his band gave out was nothing short of infectiously positive, lively and electric. This was skilfully added to by the outstanding light show, which saw spotlights and backlights flash, while two huge disco balls placed at either side of the stage reflected the light over the crowd.

The Birmingham show had a wonderful party atmosphere from start to end; the set filled with non-stop huge hits which had every member of the audience singing and dancing along from the get-go. In fact, the majority of the fans didn’t sit at all for the whole 90-minute-or-so show.

Kicking off the gig with 1977 hit Everybody Dance, Nile and his band of musicians and singers sounded tremendous; his female vocalists dressed in sequinned smocks shining in particular.

Nile, dressed in a white jacket and cap and faded jeans, his dreadlocks reaching down his back, looked remarkable too with a smile which didn’t seem to fade once throughout. Even when his set had drawn to a close, Nile stayed with his fans for a considerable time, shaking their hands and posing for pictures.

The New York icon has battled what he described as ‘extremely aggressive cancer’ in recent years, yet such an experience has left Nile with a lust for life and a desire to do more than every before - and this clear passion and love for what he does shone through at every turn.

Thank goodness he was also able to announce he is now ‘cancer free’.

“The doctors told me to go home and contemplate the rest of my life,” he explained.

“So I decided I was going to write more songs than in my entire life, do more live shows than in my entire life and do more collaborations than in my entire life.”

Throughout Nile’s outstanding career, he has worked with some of the industry’s finest ranging a variety of genres - and, in addition to performing Chic hits, he and the band also gave stupendous renditions of some of the songs he helped create, including Diana Ross’ I’m Coming Out and Upside Down; Sister Sledge’s He’s The Greatest Dancer, Lost In Music and We Are Family; Madonna’s Like A Virgin; and David Bowie’s Let’s Dance.

And Nile’s guitar skills were superb, his legendary funky ‘chucking’ style impressing throughout, as he played alongside his outstanding bassist Jerry Barnes.

In fact, his whole band were truly wonderful; their faultless playing bringing to life their jam-packed set of songs which have stood the test of time - and clearly captured the hearts of generations, judging by the number of young people in the audience.

A remarkable concert, filled with beloved hits, a feel-good atmosphere and outstanding talent.

I’ve been to scores of shows over the last 12 months, but for me this was gig of the year.

Thank you Nile, thank you Chic. Please return soon.