8pm and as the lights drop and a back drop of a Mix Tape appears of the screen behind the stage, unusually one Mr Nile Rodgers walks onto the stage to greet his fans, Solo and doing it out of the goodness of his heart he walks the length and breadth of the stage to acknowledge all who have turned up to celebrate an evening of fine music supplied by one of musics living legends.
As the mix tape flows from one classic to another the mood in the room reaches party atmosphere as women and men as far as the eye can see are boogie-ing their little tushes off with glee. No stranger to these shores – Nile Rodgers & Chic have adorned this isle for many’s a year with sell out show after sell out show. Rightly so, with decades of first class music behind him Nile has built up and army of fans worldwide who love the music he brought to the fore, looking around the room there are generations here from the same family sharing in their appreciation for the soundtrack to their lives. Young girls who have grown up in the shadows of their mothers listening to Nile Rodgers and his peers, now women reliving each and every song thumping out of the speakers.
Crazy to see and the band haven’t even started yet!
8:30 arrives and as the stage lights up and six backing musicians and two beautiful ladies adorned in green dresses either side of Mr Rodgers set the stage alight! With a brass section , keys and a thumping bass laying down a fierce backbone you can’t help but feel the groove and bust a few moves yourself. The musicianship on show is second to none, slamming bass solo on ‘I Want Your Love’ and a kick ass brass lick just highlights the quality of those whom Nile’s surrounds himself with, high standards indeed.
The beauty of these timeless classics is that not only where they highly successful in their day, but through new generations they have since been covered once again and more recently sampled by the major artists of today, we are enveloped by these classics in our daily lives, radio, tv and advertisements so much so they become engrained in our daily lives. What better testimony to a lifetime of music that the hits of Nile Rodgers & Chic still gain momentum all these years later.
Tonight’s venue – The Waterfront hall is normally quite a reserved place, fully seated, with beautiful sound, the latter being the same case, but tonight it’s a party, and from top to bottom Belfast has brought the noise! The seated areas are packed with revellers up on their feet living every second of this majestic display.
It’s hard to keep up with the plethora of artists that Nile has worked with never mind even listing the artists he is representing on stage tonight, but some of the greatest names in the business are here tonight in the heart and souls of the mere mortals down below giving everything back to Nile & the band. It’s a rare,rare thing you’ll go through a set of an artist and know every single song they play, it’s mind blowing even to comprehend it, nevertheless here I am mind-blown.
If you have yet to experience Nile Rodgers and Chic, regardless of you love of one genre or another get your ass down to a show near you. Dig out those flares and fishbowl platforms and boogey on down!
