15 June 2023 (gig)
21 June 2023
Nocturne Live returns to The Great Court at Blenheim Palace in 2023, and was once again bathed in sunshine. The birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill and ‘the UK’s most beautiful venue’ was looking sublime and ready to party with the ten thousand seats all full. Tonight, we were ready to party, and it seemed that everyone I spoke to was trying to get in a Lionel pun or two.
Nights one and two of this year’s series were headlined by no other than Lionel Richie. The 73-year-old pop and soul icon, who has been making hits for more than five decades, gave a flawless performance that delighted everyone in attendance.
Prior to Richie taking to the stage, he was supported by Mica Millar and Gabrielle. Gabrielle, who rose to fame in the 90s with songs like ‘When a woman’, ‘Give Me a Little More Time’ and ‘Sunshine’ showed off her unique voice and charisma, retelling stories and sharing words of wisdom which gained cheers from the audience. I really did forget how many good songs she has in the back catalogue which soundtracked my youth. The set was mixed up by Gabrielle leaving for two songs and her backing singers getting the crowd going with a version of Ultra Naté – Free, as well as a Witney Houston cover of ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ before coming back on to finish with ‘Out of Reach’ and ‘Dreams’. A perfect warm up for the main event.
The night was all about Richie, who came on stage with his band wearing a green sequined jacket and kicked off the show with ‘Running With the Night’, a funky track from his 1983 album ‘Can’t Slow Down’. He followed it with ‘Easy’, one of his many classics from his time with the Commodores, and had the audience singing along to every word. He then welcomed the crowd with his trademark charm and humour, saying: “Hello, Blenheim Palace! I’m Lionel Richie, and I’m here to play all night long!”
You couldn’t tell Lionel is 73 years old, with boundless energy throughout the set. He took time to work the stage making sure everyone could see him and get that camera phone photo.
And he did just that. For almost two hours, Richie treated the fans to a hit parade of pop and soul gems, spanning his entire career. He played songs from his solo albums, such as ‘Penny Lover’, ‘Stuck on You’, ‘My Destiny’, ‘Endless Love’ (without Diana Ross, unfortunately, although he did tease he was just fetching her from backstage), ‘Dancing on the Ceiling’, ‘Hello’, and ‘Say You, Say Me’. He also revisited his Commodores days, with songs like ‘Brick House’, ‘Three Times a Lady’, ‘Sail On’, and ‘Lady (You Bring Me Up)’. He even surprised the crowd with a cover of ‘We Are the World’, the charity anthem he co-wrote with Michael Jackson in 1985 before which he appealed to the crowd and people further afield that we’re all human beings and to love each. Wise words.
This was a show I was not going to forget. The last time I saw him was at the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, so it was much nicer to be closer to the action this time around.
Lionel Richie proved once again that he is a timeless entertainer, who can connect with people of all ages and backgrounds through his music. He may not be as young as he used to be, but he still has the voice, the charm and the charisma that made him a legend. Hello, Lionel Richie. We are glad you are here.
Nocturne Live will return, 12th-16th June 2024.
Photo credit: Russell Fujak
