Review: Beverley Knight shines during emotional sell-out Symphony Hall gig

In front of an audience full of family, friends and fans the West End star performed all her hits and walked off to a standing ovation.

The buses, trains and taxis must have done a roaring trade between Wolverhampton and Birmingham, it felt like everyone you spoke to was from her home town.

She took to the stage in a white and black catsuit in front of her band who were all pristine in white suits.

Her set started with three old school hits, Greatest Day, Made It Back '99 and Systematic Overload. Strutting across the stage Bev was not going to be happy until everyone was out of their seat having a dance.

Then came the tricky part for any performer, "here are some songs from my new album - The Fifth Chapter".

So often this prompts a stampede to the bar, but the bar had closed soon after the concert began. And as this was a concert in front of friends, almost everyone knew the songs anyway. Not Prepared For You is really one of her best tunes, new or old.

Having a full band really matched Bev's onstage energy and she obviously surrounds herself with the best in the business.

However, there was one member who was missing. Paul Reid from Great Barr, her former musical director, who sadly passed away since the last time she played his home town.

Before playing a few stripped down songs, Beverley paid an emotional tribute to "Reidy".

She said: "He would have loved this, he was such a talented, lovely man, he was from Great Barr and I know his family are here tonight. So these songs are for you Reidy."

Totally at ease chatting to a few thousand people like she knows everyone of them Beverley explained why she wrote Fallen Soldier about murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence, and during a stabbing epidemic the song is as important as it ever has been.

Another highly personal song was Sista Sista, Bev said: "I wrote this about an old school friend, and she is here tonight."

The Symphony Hall is still the jewel in the Midlands live music crown, if not the country's, it is not hard to see why performers love it so much.

The accoustics are perfect and the vista spectacular.

The crowd used their mobile phone torches to create a spectacular sight for Shudda, Wudda, Cudda which looked amazing.

Holding back the tears, towards the show Beverley told the audience: "If you could see what I could see now. Thank you so much."

Then she was off stage and we were in darkness, but no-one was going anywhere. It was a quick change into a short black dress and then an encore of Chaka Khan's I'm Every Woman and Prince's I Wanna Be Your Lover.

To finish, a barnstorming extended version of a song which has become Bev's anthem Everything's Gonna Be Alright.

She said: "I know there are problems in the world right now, but I want people to take away this message - Everything's Gonna Be Alright."

And with one final chant of "Reidy" Bev and the band took their bows and left the stage.

And the audience melted away into a cold night, all happy in the knowledge the local girl done good!