Tright here’s jubilation within the air tonight. Tens of 1000’s of Manchester Metropolis followers file out into the Etihad campus in a sea of blue as they rejoice successful the Premier League. Shifting within the different path in the direction of the newly opened Co-Op Stay enviornment is a crowd dotted with pink fluffy cowboy hats and Barry Manilow T-shirts, as individuals flock to see the 80-year-old carry out his ultimate tour (six years on from his earlier “ultimate” tour, One Final Time). Glittery inexperienced glow sticks are handed out, and because the lights drop, the venue pumps out a warm-up medley of dance tracks by the likes of Underworld and Fatboy Slim, with the room resembling a rave for airport visitors controllers because the sticks gently wave forwards and backwards.
Issues quickly calm down as Manilow steps out in sparkly apparel, with a 13-piece band, to open with the slick groove of It’s a Miracle. It units the tone for a night of music that appears wanting to consolation and soothe, relatively than problem or shock. “Anyone just like the music of the Seventies?” Manilow asks at one level, earlier than following up with, “Good, you’re in the suitable place.” He glides by way of hits with grace, whereas songs corresponding to Appears Like We Made It present that his voice remains to be greater than able to hitting pretty hovering heights.
There’s a tribute to his grandfather and inspiration by way of This One’s for You, and on Mandy, Manilow treats us to video footage of him performing the ballad in 1975, turning the track right into a reflective duet along with his youthful self. Might It Be Magic is a enjoyable, camp romp, with glitter and feathery outfits bringing a contact of old-school Vegas aptitude. The tropical disco boogie of Copacabana is pure lounge singer cheese and end-of-the-night wedding ceremony vibes, however Manilow appears greater than conscious of his personal clean, secure, simple listening legacy. “I hope my songs dwell on eternally in elevators and dentist ready rooms,” he jokes at one level. Nonetheless, when the curtains lastly draw closed, he appears teary saying his goodbyes, as a sea of followers bathed in inexperienced rejoice with the identical gusto as these in blue exterior.
