Alabama Shakes @ Enmore Theatre

There’s an old tale that gets thrown around concerning The Rolling Stones going on tour back in the day with James Brown as their opening act. It didn’t take long at all for the Stones to be demanding the positions swap around. They knew for a fact they simply could not follow what he was doing.

In case you hadn’t guessed, Charles Bradley is the James Brown of this here analogy. The man is not an opener, nosirree. He’s a closer. A deal-sealer. A superstar. It’s obvious from the second he prowls out onto the stage – all eyes are transfixed on him, and that is where they stay for the hour that he and his exceptional backing band hold court. It’s an all-encompassing performance, transcending a mere soul/funk revue and becoming a performance where every last scream comes from the highest levels of emotional engagement and response. There’s nothing left once Bradley and co. are finished with you. Your jaw has taken up permanent residency on the floor and your dancing shoes have had a hole burnt through them. The Screaming Eagle flies off into the night and you struggle to remember life before it swooped in.

Needless to say, Alabama Shakes had their work cut out for them. Not that you’d know it – now nine people strong in the live environment, the band has substantially developed what constitutes its performance. The harmonies are bigger, the layering is more textured and the dynamics can seamlessly cut from a whisper to a shout. Of course, the band lives and dies by Brittany Howard, who still sells every lyric with the utmost conviction – an especially impressive feat given that over half of the set is dedicated to tracks from an album most are yet to hear, Sound & Color.

Howard constantly serves as the band’s saving grace: when the set looks to go out with a whimper following a meagre performance of new track ‘Gemini’, Howard strolls right back onstage and delivers a one-two punch straight to the heart with the unreleased ‘Joe’ and choice Boys & Girls ballad ‘You Ain’t Alone’. Not only do they not play their signature song, ‘Hold On’, they don’t even need to. That’s the kind of performance this is. It might not hit the levels of its predecessor, but it puts up a valiant fight.