It took me a lifetime to get here, I'm not going anywhere - an evening with the legendary Ms. Ross

Although I love going to concerts and seeing my favourite artists live, there's something extra special about watching a living legend.

Over the years I can count on one hand the people that have felt otherworldly to see. Celine Dion moved me to tears at home in Birmingham in 2017, and Elton John made an evening that felt like magic at Glastonbury in 2023. But as of this weekend, I can confidently add Diana Ross to a list of people that feel difficult to capture in words.

It's hard to measure the impact that the legendary Ms. Ross has had over the years. Last night I found myself falling down a rabbit hole of her most iconic looks from over the years, mesmerised by her star power. Every one of us could affectionately hum along to most of her back catalogue as a minimum, and likely sing every word of lots of them. Seeing her in Birmingham on Sunday evening was a truly majestic experience.

Everything about this show felt opulent. Before we'd even started, the stage was dressed with enormous purple curtains, draping the stage like a showgirl's boudoir. The crowd spanned every generation, and I noticed lots of elderly couples and mothers and daughters. People had dressed to kill. I saw big earrings, big hair, lots of sequins. They all wanted to look their best for Diana.

To open the show, a sentimental montage played of her story from the beginning. She started by saying "it took me a lifetime to get here, I'm not going anywhere", and we then took a trip through her life from the start. We saw photos of her childhood in Detroit, where she explained she was poor and that "growing up was easy and hard but beautiful". Footage flashed of her neighbourhood, her family, the Supremes, her performances, and before we knew it there she was!

For such a tiny little lady, Diana knows how to make an entrance. Against a backdrop of an enormous live orchestra, brass musicians on foot dancing along and powerful backing singers, she wandered on from stage right in an extravagant yellow two-piece. The yellow sequins to the floor, a ruffled yellow shawl, her big curls, the mod makeup, you have never seen such a main character.

The evening felt like a real show. She started with lots of her best loved classics, opening with songs like I'm Coming Out, Can't Hurry Love and Baby Love, and then took a journey through time with songs from Lady Sings the Blues and The Riz. At every step of the way, the band and backing singers created a party atmosphere on stage, one that spilled out and meant that everyone was dancing and singing. There were some really moving moments when I looked around and saw couples holding hands and dancing along, some of whom it was clear have enjoyed her music together for years, if not decades.

One thing I noticed about this crowd was that there were notably less phones in the air than for other concerts I've been to recently. No one was here to say "look where I am today", the vibe was very much "I want to enjoy the songs I loved yesterday". She cultivated such a special room. At one point she asked us all to put the torch on our phones. The room lit up like stars in the sky and she asked us to repeat after her: "I am so grateful for all the blessings in my life, for there are many. I am resilient." As someone who loves looking on the bright side and trying to find the good in every day, I loved that she used her power in this moment for this cause. When Diana Ross reminds you that you are resilient, you feel inclined to believe her.

From singing with her daughter to making time for a costume change and generally just taking us on such a journey, I cannot tell you how special it was to see this show. Birmingham was the first night of several in the UK, and if you want a night of nostalgia, glamour and total Motown magic, you won't want to miss her.

https://www.dianaross.com