Shortly before her arrival on stage a video montage showed highlights of D C. Lee’s career, and it made one realise that her significant contribution to the British pop/soul scene should not be underrated. There at Wham’s beginning, adding harmony to numerous Style Council classics, appearing with them at Live Aid, her own self-penned top ten hit ‘see the day’ and her breezy vocal riff on Guru’s ‘There’s no time to Play’, one of the early breakthrough records of the then emerging HipHop/ Jazz scene. This year saw a welcome return with her first record since 1998, the LP ‘Just Something’, which she co-wrote. It's a superb collection of classy timeless soul music, with her voice sounding as good as ever, and it makes you wonder why she has been away so long.
So there was a sense of an artist reconnecting with their audience as she took to the stage. Koko’s beautiful auditorium was filled out, and the feeling of warmth in the air was further enhanced by the presence of former Style Council drummer, Steve White, sitting behind the drum kit. This was a sweet reunion for all concerned.
The band hit their stride from the word go, with Lee’s voice ringing gloriously out, with apparent ease. Supported by an incredibly talented eight piece band, featuring brass, keyboards and backing vocalists, this was a chance to enjoy true soul grooves with musicians who really know their stuff. The set drew heavily from the new album, and the material sounded fresh. ‘Back in Time’ comes across as a classic old school anthem, with Lee reminiscing joyfully about her young clubbing days. The two singles, 'Don't forget About Love' and 'Walk Away', were equally infectious, the former being a pleasing Bossa Nova tune, with a perfect breezy vocal by Lee, and the latter a toe tapping Motown pastiche. We came very close to a full on Style Council reunion when keyboard player Mick Talbot joined the band for a gorgeous rendition of one of their old numbers, the beautiful ‘Le Paris Match’ (one of Paul Weller's most underrated songs) - see video below. It was moving to see the affection that Lee, White and Talbot clearly have for each other.
She encored with ‘See the Day’, before leading an extended jam of ‘No time to Play’ which gave everyone in the band a chance to show off their virtuosity as soloists, and the crowd a chance to workout with their favorite dance moves. With two impressive sets by support acts Leah Weller (DC Lee’s singer/songwriter daughter) and Acid Jazz diva Emma Noble, it was a hugely enjoyable evening. As the people poured out into the Camden night, everyone wore a smile, hoping fervently that the wait for D C. Lee's next album and tour would not be as long as the last one.
