A ‘resurrection’ this was not, but fun and nostalgic? Sure.

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Be warned. Despite the message of Alexander O’Neal‘s signature hit, there will be some (mild) criticisms in the below review.

Last night, sixty-four-year-old O’Neal brought ‘The Resurrected Tour’ to a close at the London Palladium. The 1980s/90s R&B cult star has been touring the country throughout April, in advance of an original studio release later in the year. Though entirely unremarkable from a musical and performance standpoint, O’Neal still has the star power to carry a concert at this famed venue without being swallowed up by its sheer enormity.

The concert was mainly a walkthrough O’Neal’s back catalogue, with a couple of new tracks from his upcoming album and a brief segment with his talented backing vocalists. The setlist was mainly split between his eponymous debut album and his famed sophomore, Hearsay. Well aware that attendees were hungry to hear the likes of ‘Criticize’, ‘Fake’, and ‘Hearsay’, O’Neal wittily teased and hyped up the audience in the lead-up to his very greatest hits. While less nimble on his feet, and in perpetual need of a handkerchief to dab his forehead, O’Neal can banter and charm like a pro.

He is also in surprisingly robust shape vocally. Though a bit weathered around the edges and occasionally swept up by the up-tempo numbers, he displayed good control on ballads such as the gorgeous ‘Sunshine’. His bluesy new material sat more comfortably in his range.

And there’s not much else to say. Serviceable vocals, a strong band, and those gems of 1980s nostalgia saw the evening through. Audience appetites were well satisfied.

However, I would cautiously suggest that O’Neal’s backing singers gave some of the strongest performances of the night in their three-song interlude. In particular, Romina Johnson, also a member of dance group Odyssey, delivered Prince’s ‘I Feel For You’ with coquettish attack.