Sister Sledge

The music of ’70s disco immediately conjures up hedonistic images of New York’s legendary Studio 54. The soundtrack at the famous nightclub was provided by the likes of Donna Summer, Anita Ward, Gloria Gaynor, Chic and of course Sister Sledge.

Fast forward five decades and head four and a half thousand miles east and that infectious disco beat was ready to fill the more stately venue of the Royal Albert Hall. Before the main event, the sell-out audience were treated to a crowd-pleasing warm-up set by The Real Thing.

And what an inspired choice for support they were! As founder members of Britain’s most successful black group of all-time, Chris Amoo and Dave Smith have been gigging across the world and on the evidence of last night’s performance, the pair are still loving every minute of it. From the grooviest funk of It’s The Real Thing to a soulful Whenever You Want My Love, they had the audience eating out of their hand. To the instruction “Get your hands above your head”, the crowd willingly obliged.

Their biggest hit, a Number One in the UK charts in 1976, You To Me Are Everything was rapturously received. There is such warmth and strength to their vocals, it’s not hard to imagine how they might have influenced later artists like Seal or especially Lemar.

Choreographed Dad dancing was a new one to us but just added to the sheer joy of the set. A rock-funk Can You Feel The Force plunged the Royal Albert Hall into a red inferno as their closing number. Absolute masters of their craft, The Real Thing left everyone with huge smiles on their faces.

The audience were suitably giddy for the moment that Sister Sledge took to the stage. Even though Debbie Sledge is the only original member of the band, she is joined by the next generation of the Sledge family (her daughter Camille, her son David, Joni’s son Thaddeus along with Tanya Ti-et), when they launch into Lost In Music, it’s immediately clear that the iconic Sledge sound is the same and as delicious as it always was.

Shimmering around the stage, the three ladies, bedecked in silver outfits, sparkle from their roots to their boots. With the party truly started, they borrow from their ’70s stablemates, Chic’s Everybody Dance and everybody did. The Royal Albert Hall may occasionally have a reputation of being a little stuffy but Sister Sledge’s infectious tunes transformed the venue into a relaxed, fun disco, complete with giant mirrorball.

The group, and their excellent five-piece band, are slick, professional but exude a warmth and a refreshing sense of joy in what they do. With a setlist with solid-good smashes such as All American Girls, Good Times (sadly without the camp “Roller skates, roller skates” lyric) and Le Freak, this is an evening of pure entertainment and one that delighted the audience of all ages.

He’s The Greatest Dancer features a dance break from David Sledge who moves while great fun also suggest that he probably wasn’t the inspiration for the titular character. The group’s 1985 foray into bubblegum pop, Frankie, makes a brief but enjoyable appearance.

The show’s singular misstep comes with the introduction of special guest Niels Lan Doky with whom Debbie has previously performed jazz concerts. Their performance of an underwhelming trad jazz Summertime simply didn’t fit the disco party remit and momentarily lost the audience. Thankfully, the relief of Thinking About You (arguably Sister Sledge’s best-written song), with Debbie effortlessly scaling the vocal heights, got the show immediately back on track.

The times we live in are often fraught with stress and difficulties so it is an absolute pleasure to spend an uplifting evening with Sister Sledge. They know how to put on an irresistible party where you can park your worries for a night and happily get lost in music. A positive triumph!