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Graham Clark
Music Features Writer
@Maxximum23Clark
7:00 PM 19th July 2016
arts

Review: Key 103 Summer Party, Manchester Arena

 
Olly Alexander of Years and Years
Olly Alexander of Years and Years
The Key 103 concerts are held every summer and winter and feature some of the best current UK chart acts. Opening up the summer edition were Years and Years, the band have been very successful over the last year with the single King becoming one of the big European hits last summer.

Lead singer Olly Alexander is a great frontman "We are so excited to be here" he informed the fans. Dancing around the stage with carefree abandon his exuberance was an infectious as the hits Desire and new single Worship.

Grace
Grace


Australian singer Grace had a big hit with her version of the Lesley Gore song You Don't Own Me. Vocally she reminds me of Amy Winehouse. Her short set was in contrast to the high energy pop of Years and Years.

Clean Bandit
Clean Bandit


Clean Bandit added a classical touch to the evening. The classically trained act were without Jess Glynne who guested on their big hits tour but they brought in some strong vocalists who were able to replicate Real Love and No Place I'd Rather Be. Louisa Johnson the last winner of X Factor sings lead vocals on the new Clean Bandit single Tears and appeared tonight. Her styling seems to be influenced by Beyoncé.

Sigala
Sigala


Dance act Sigala are currently in the charts with Settle born John Newman and the track Give Me Your Love. Newman was in Eastern Europe performing a gig so the act brought in some replacement vocalists who also added a new dimension to the hits such as Sweet Lovin'

Craig David
Craig David


Introduced as the "legendary" Craig David, he was the first act of the evening that got the whole of the arena up on their feet. Of course he had to perform his introductory hit he had with Artful Dodger' Re-Rewind (The Crowd Say Bo-Selecta) but his re-introduction to the music scene with Nothing Like This and One More Time stood well against his older hits such as Walking Away.

Sigma
Sigma


Fresh from appearing on stage at Hyde Park the Weekend before with Take That, Sigma were one of the highlights of the evening. You do not realise how many hits the dance duo have had until you hear them back to back. Although they were without the original singers who appeared on their hits such as Rita Ora and Paloma Faith, the lead vocalists who took over were just as good. Coming Home and Changes are perfect pop songs that will be played on the radio for years to come. An exuberant performance that will establish the name Sigma amongst tonight's audience.

OneRepublic
OneRepublic


OneRepublic are based around lead singer and songwriter Ryan Tedder who has written hit songs for Adele, Beyoncé and Maroon 5. Tonight's short set was a greatest hits package. "Music from Manchester has influenced me more than any other city we visit" he offers the crowd. With hits like Counting Stars and Stop and Stare and new single Wherever I Go it was a fine way to round off an evening of current chart music.