Live Review: Chelsea Wilson, The Perfections

The crowd is mostly still at The Toff In Town, but lead singer Christina Arnold of The Perfections is anything but; she wiggles and shakes her curvaceous hips, along with her bouncy blonde locks and well-endowed chest. The air is filled with her big, gutsy vocals and the punchy soul/garage six-piece behind her. Love Addict is conducive of some ass shakin’ with its upbeat blaring trumpets and ballad Better Off Alone shows off Arnold’s soaring high register and throaty vocals. We’d prefer to say this gritty band heat things up, rather than warm things up, tonight.

After a small hiatus, punters are quick to migrate to the front of the stage. Chelsea Wilson is revealed when the venue’s two red curtains are drawn, grooving facing the back wearing a simple, long apricot gown. Her outfit is perhaps a little unfitting for the soul sister we know that she is. (Little do we know this is all about to change.) The first few songs – Through With Lovin’ You, I Let A Good Man Down and Bitterness – are bluesy and slow, covering clichéd heartbreak subject matter. Wilson’s vocals are soft, soulful and slinky in all the right ways, clearly inspired by soul sister greats such as Esther Phillips and Sarah Vaughn. After asking the crowd if they want to party, Wilson leaves the stage.

There’s a minor interlude during which two back-up singers dance onto the stage wearing sparkly black-short shorts. And then Wilson returns in a sassy, short black jumpsuit and sparkly headband. Her arrangement of Ne-Yo’s pop song Closer kicks things off again, seamlessly blending contemporary with funk/jazz. This is accompanied by well-rehearsed arm routines by the back-up singers. Things escalate with Afrobeat anthem Don’t Stop For Nothing, co-written by Candice Monique, and Hit Em Like Ali – a song written about the Thrilla In Manilla fight. We now have to be wary not to come into contact with one nearby groover’s limbs. Wilson introduces a song about her dad’s girlfriend; it’s called Devil Woman – this gains a few laughs but even more fervent dance moves. It’s the closing song. Afterwards, Wilson thanks the band and leaves the stage.

A “one more” chant sees Wilson back performing I Hope You’ll Be Very Unhappy Without Me, the title track of her self-produced album. This causes patrons to squeeze out any last bit of groove they have left in them. As the show closes and the crowd clears, a pungent smell of body odour is left lingering over the dancefloor. But, to us, this is the smell of a crowd-pleasing show.