The Pop Corporation

Bonnie Raitt is, without doubt, one of the realest to ever do it. With success coming relatively late into her career, what we’ve ended up with is an artist that obviously knows her worth, but is also still grateful and ultimately incredibly humble.

In Manchester, Bonnie took to the stage with her incredibly capable band which included long time cohort and Rutle/Beach Boy Ricky Fataar, and promptly set about giving everyone a good night out. Now, that might seem like an obvious thing to say, but the humbleness of Raitt transforms into something of a good time bar band that used their slices of good fortune and remembered that shows are exactly that – a night out.

A lot of slide-playing blues torch carriers can be guilty of naval gazing and proselytising – not Bonnie – she’s too canny for that. Y’see, Raitt knows that you’ve come to see her, so it’s not like you need preaching to in the first place. While the stages might be big and the attitude professional, there’s a rabble rousing attitude and you may as well get the drinks in, while she gets the bottleneck out.

With that in mind, you might complain of a set that features as many covers as Bonnie and band’s do – but not here. Featuring cuts from Toots & The Maytals (don’t worry – it’s not some cringeworthy cod-reggae as Bonnie makes everything hers while paying tributes to old pals), Dylan (‘Million Miles’), Talking Heads’ ‘Burning Down The House’ and a party blues take on ‘Need You Tonight’ by INXS, Bonnie switches between good time band and her own material both new and old, and everything feeling as fresh as a daisy.

Of course, the biggies were there as she paid tribute to dead John Prine with her iconic ‘Angel From Montgomery’, as well as taking a seat at the keys for a gorgeous, vibey take on ‘Nick Of Time’. ‘Something To Talk About’ was delivered and is effectively, the perfect Bonnie Raitt country-rocker to get people’s behinds moving in their seats.

And they were seated – obviously the crowd was a certain age and the knee replacements don’t allow for stage-diving or brawling in the aisles. Quite right too obviously, as everyone was there to pay respects to one of the greatest to ever do it.

Come the encore (peek-a-boo for adults), Bonnie really showed everyone what she was made of, absolutely flooring the room with her ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’, which is jaw-dropping at the best of times, before making way for ‘Never Make Your Move Too Soon’ by BB King, with a playful punch of the air and an off-mic yell of ‘long live the blues, baby!’

And Raitt’s road-experience makes for an incredibly charismatic performer, dedicating songs to anyone who has experienced heartbreak, and carried an elegant determination that has rightly resulted in swathes of fans doe-eyed in admiration. She’s no slouch either, with faultless playing and smoky voice that, if it’s aged at all, sounded glorious from the stage. Confident spanks of her guitar to finish songs, and songs that have only got more rich with time, it looked effortless from the bleachers, and boy, what a treat Bonnie Raitt is.