Review: Becky Hill, Newmarket Nights
It was clear it was a sell out at Newmarket on Friday night, as you got near with the cars queuing back further than other nights of this year’s run. Once inside you could watch the premier enclosure fill to the brim for each race through the afternoon. Then clear back out as people went to place bets on the next race and get another drink on another warm summer day.
By the penultimate race people began to stake their claims for front row spots to see Becky Hill, who would take the stage after the final race of the evening. She had sold around 18,000 tickets, with closer to 21,000 in attendance, making it her biggest headline show to date. And hearing all those people sing Islands In The Stream while waiting for the show to begin, is quite an experience!
Backed by a live drummer, brass section, string section and some fantastic backing vocalists. Hill dove straight into the opening single True Colours from her new album Believe Me Now. She then came down from the upper stage area, to high kick her way through number one hit Gecko (Overdrive), transitioning into Daniel Bedingfield’s Gotta Get Thru This towards the end.
Ahead of playing Hold On from 2020, she told the crowd how the song was written during lockdown, when she thought playing music to big crowds might not happen again, with genuine emotion on her face as many other acts have reminded crowds in recent years, how lucky they are to share these moments.
Even on the other side of the grandstands, where Hill could only be seen on a larger screen there was a sizeable crowd, that many other acts would be envious of, dancing while watching her on the screen.
Hearing everyone singing the chorus of Afterglow in full voice, while the sun’s glow could just be seen on the horizon to the west, was a highlight of the night.
This coming Friday will see Deacon Blue close out this year’s Jockey Club Live nights at Newmarket Racecourse.
Review and pictures, Stephen Keable, for Ipswich24 Magazine
