Review: MICHAEL BALL: COMING HOME TO YOU, London Palladium

Michael Ball is touring his new album Coming Home To You, which he proudly announces is his first number one selling album for 27 years. From the opening song, people are on their feet dancing. The atmosphere in the Palladium is excellent as his fans are so adoring!

The set list is brilliant - some classics and some tracks from Ball's new album. It's great to hear him do some country music as well as the musical theatre you expect from him.

"Anthem" from Chess is always a crowd-pleaser, but it's "You Can't Stop the Beat" from Hairspray that really gets everyone going. It's unusual to hear "I Dreamed a Dream" sung by a man, but a Les Misérables medley wouldn't be complete without it. It's a treat to hear Ball's renditions of "Empty chairs at Empty Tables" and "Stars".

Ball doesn't always land perfectly on every note, but his voice is rich and expressive. He is very easy to watch as a singer.

The speech between songs is a little over-scripted. It shows how much thought has been put into making a concert that flows well, but it sounds a bit too rehearsed and like you're seeing a character, rather than Michael Ball himself.

He gets into his stride towards the end, performing more upbeat numbers. The more the audience gets into it, the more Ball gives them back.

The staging is classy - simple but effective. The band are on raised staging blocks with their instruments around them. The rest of the stage is on three levels, which Ball moves between to create intimacy and impact as desired.

The lighting is bold and creates the feeling you're in an arena, rather than a theatre. There are some graphics playing on a screen across the entire back of the stage, which are a bit naff. For the most part, they don't add anything; the poor quality of the animations doesn't help. That said, it's almost endearing, and they do sort of make you smile.

The band are excellent, with the multi-instrumentalists standing out. They feel the music in their whole bodies and it can be hard to take your eyes off them.

There were some sound issues - with the microphone seeming too sensitive - but they were rectified for the second act.

The Coming Home to You Tour is a very enjoyable night out. Just be prepared to make the difficult choice between singing along at the top of your lungs or relishing the live sound of Ball's legendary voice.

The Coming Home to You Tour will be visiting venues across the UK until 14 July

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