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Graham Clark
Music Features Writer
@Maxximum23Clark
9:50 PM 18th November 2017
arts

James Arthur, Leeds Arena

 
In a pop world where former X Factor winners seem either to go on to have a great long career or disappear without trace it is good to see that James Arthur is in the former category.

His popularity appears to be on the rise seeing as how he can now play arena gigs.

Footage of what looks like Bellingham Steel Works is shown across the video screens mixed in with photos of Mohammed Ali which implied that like the world champion boxer, Arthur may have got knocked down a few years ago with personal problems but he has got back up again.

Fittingly he starts the gig off with Back From The Edge. "Leeds let's make some noise" he goads the audience. "What You will hear tonight is all real, there are no overdubs" he offers.

That is the beauty of hearing him sing too: he feels what he sings because he has been there and his tracks are written from a personal perspective.

Wearing a well cut jacket he looks debonair, it is hoped that the rough edges are not smoothed out too much as that was him and part of the real deal, so to speak.

He drops his version of the Mary J Blige track, No More Tears that he performed on the X Factor before he treats the fans to an emotional version of his debut No 1, Impossible.

A version of George Michael's Careless Whisper is sung at the piano. Whilst the George Michael version has a vocal that starts off softly to build up towards the end, Arthur sings the song in the same tone the whole way through which detracted from the delicacy of the song.

James Arthur with Ella Henderson
James Arthur with Ella Henderson
Things pick up when he introduces the support act, Ella Henderson on stage to duet on a track they have written together - Let's Go Home Together sounds like a big hit in the making.

Backed by a strong band with two female vocalists the new single, Naked shows a progression in his work, the song deserves to be another Number 1.

Of course Say You Won't Let Go is saved until the end to what had been an entertaining, genuine and passionate gig.