To start off the thread, here's a photo tweeted by Robyn:-
LINKY THING
Lee looks good 'suited and booted'! 
Thanks Jo,very nice pic,she looks a nice person,I saw her in panto at Xmas with Lee
Just a quick post to assure everybody that all went well on the Isle of Man. 
Lee was fabulous, vocally flawless, cheerful and happy. The venue was beautiful and there were loads of people there. I'll try to give you a bit more detail tomorrow but need some sleep first - it's been a long day!
Thanks Asher, it's good to hear that the concert went well! I'm looking forward to more details if/when you get the chance 
Thanks Asher looking forward to it,lovely when the members who can get there post a review for those of us who can't manage to get there
For all of you who were not fortunate enough to get to this particular venue, here is a brief report on the IoM concert. I hope that you will enjoy it.
Lee looked very lovely on Friday, initially in the WEM suit with the coloured pocket trim but the jacket got discarded after the break (too hot) and we were left with just the shirt (2 buttons open and obviously the pants (very snug). He ruffled through his hair at the back early on, from the bottom to the top and that made all the curls fluff up so he looked a little like a fluffy chick from the back, v cute! He still managed to look very manly though, and muscly. And due to the fact that there was more stage available for him, he did prowl back and forth quite a bit.
The Villa Marina is a lovely venue, beautiful inside and out with lovely gardens at the side and back. It was, however, quite cavernous; not much, if any rake, as most of the space is also used on occasions as a dance floor. Obviously for the concert they placed chairs in all the available spaces; the hall also has a high ceiling. So the vibe was very different to the recent Pheasantry gigs. Most of the space is taken up by the stalls and they were pretty much full, including the sides which are on a rake.
Vocals - very strong! More powerful than at the Pheasantry. He couldn't have powered up any more there or he would have blown the roof off but this was a much bigger room so he could let go more and just fill it. Marvellous! The delivery of the songs in the larger space was just as subtle and differentiated as at the Pheasantry, but more powerful with it. I found it just as impressive, vocally. What you don't get in a larger space is the physical connection. When he is right in front of you, you can see the tiniest expression on his face, the smallest movement and that is sadly lost in the bigger venues.
The band is scaled back to drums, piano and bass guitar but this works extremely well. In fact I prefer it to the larger band he had on other tours. At times he was only accompanied by one person, either bass guitar or piano and that also worked really well. In fact one of those occasions was absolutely sublime. He was just singing with the piano in the background; I cannot remember which song it was. Possibly 'Feeling Alive'. And just the two of them managed to create such a complex and varied sound that they sounded like a whole orchestra. Absolutely amazing what he can do with his voice now. I am not sure what has happened to it, but something has! Maybe working with Will has changed something. His range is stronger as well. He is not necessarily singing notes that he hasn't sung before but they are stronger, especially the high ones.
One interesting snippet of info from the couple who were sitting behind us. This is the most expensive show the IoM has ever had, apparently. I think they charged £35 for the tickets and the husband commented that the most expensive performer they had previously was Elaine Paige at £25. He was obviously struck by that fact.
A little incident occurred towards the end of the concert, possibly before the last song. A young girl came up from the stalls to the front of the raised stage and wanted to speak to Lee. I am not sure if it was somebody from the charity or a fan. Anyway, Lee initially bent down to her, then sat on the edge of the stage and finally jumped down so she could talk to him. He put his hand on her back to give her some moral support which has lovely. She then talked into the mic but I couldn't understand what she was saying. She gave him a hug and a kiss, which he returned, and she high-fived him before going back to her seat. He is just so lovely with kids and young people and indeed people of all ages. I have seen him so often, doing something special to put somebody at ease. He then tried to get back onto the very high stage but decided the stairs would be safer than being dragged up by the pianist.
Lee didn't sign after the gig but went back to the hotel with the band and Robyn. And apparently he had a 'receiving line' of people in the bar who wanted to speak to him, get an autograph or a photo. It sounds like it was quite manic. This didn't include any of his 'regular' fans, I hasten to add. We know to leave him alone when he is off duty. On the other hand, that bit of extra attention will have done his confidence some good.
All in all - a wonderful concert which everybody appears to have enjoyed very much including Lee and the band.
Oh my lordy ,I hope 'prowling' Lee comes to Bedworth to show me just how strong he is nowadays. Vocally, of course.
Thank you for those descriptions, you've cranked up my excitement yet another notch!
Thanks, Asher! Love reading all these details.
Great review, Asher!
Prowling Lee...*THUD*
Asher, thanks for your marvellous review.
Thanks Asher very interesting review,I have danced at the Villa Marina many years ago so I know how lovely it is and the IOM is a beautiful place
We certainly will.
