Take a little bit of Dominic, a little bit of Charlie, a little bit of Daniel,
add a chunk of natural talent, a dash of charisma and a pair of twinkling blue Irish eyes - put them in a big Ritz melting pot and out comes a star in the making.   The name - Michael English.

This was the first time I'd seen or even heard this new singer from Ireland (Kildare, that is) and I didn't want to compare him with his more famous stable-mates - but this was difficult when, following a slow haunting intro, Michael walked on stage in a smart 3-piece grey suit and sang 'Welcome Home' and 'Gold & Silver Days'. He was reminiscient of an early Daniel, but this soon changed as he raised the tempo with 'Walk Right Back' and so he continued with a well-balanced mix of slow ballads, Country classics, Irish, modern - Michael's repertoire included something for everyone, interspersed with a few amusing tales of happenings during this, his first, tour over here.

Michael closed his first set with a poignant rendering of 'The Mountains of Mourne' and during the break we were entertained by Band guitarist Steve. Michael then returned and gave another varied set of Country and MOR songs - and when he reached 'Shine Your Light', much of the audience did just that! This was followed by Michael's personal favourite song, 'Jenny', which was beautiful, and after two more numbers he launched into his finale - a medley of 'Una Paloma Blanca' and 'By the Rivers of Babylon', with the audience joining in to bring a rousing end to a concert I'm very glad I did not miss. Michael returned to encore with 'A Whisper Away', a touching song which he wrote in tribute to his uncle and friend, who died suddenly a few months ago.

I talked with Michael after the show and he is a delightful gentleman, more mature than his publicity photos would suggest. He is indeed a star in the making and I'm confident he is going to shine very brightly in his own right.

The first part of the Concert was by Gemma Fairweather from Norfolk, a young lady who is just starting out and shows a lot of promise. Pretty, with long dark hair, she was dressed in a loose trouser suit which suggested she wanted to hide the figure beneath - maybe she should remember those certain extra inches didn't stop Dolly!
Opening with 'Honky Tonk Baby', Gemma has a strong voice, well suited to Country Music, of which she sang a mix of old and new - these including 'Blue' and a couple of Patsy Cline numbers. This tour must be very useful experience for her and I think the name Gemma Fairweather is one to look out for in the future.