Review by Daz Gale
A West End legend was brought home on Sunday night as the always amazing John Owen-Jones returned to his former haunt of Her Majesty's Theatre to conclude his UK tour, fittingly named Music Of The Night after the song from The Phantom of the Opera.
I had seen him live several times before in little teasers as part of other concerts, including once at this same venue during Lucie Jones concert last year. Getting to see him perform a couple of songs was never enough and I knew a full concert of his would be special. I wasn’t wrong.
If you have never seen John Owen Jones before, you find yourself in extremely capable hands. A natural storyteller, he manages to deliver a masterclass in performing with every song he does. A predominantly musical theatre heavy setlist was far more varied than you might expect, with act two in particular focusing on some lesser known musical numbers. In another persons hands, this might have resulted in a less captivating performance. However, each number was met with the same excited and respectful attention as if each one were ‘Bring Him Home’. This also allowed the audience (myself included) to fall in love with songs they may not have previously known existed, with ‘Tell My Father’ from The Civil War an undoubted highlight.
Standout moments included a rousing rendition of ‘Evermore’ from the movie remake of Beauty and the Beast, a spine-tingling ‘This Is The Moment’ and a stunning acapella performance of ‘Sonny Boy’. There seemingly is nothing John can sing without managing to sound exceptional even when he is performing a song he called “one of the worlds worst songs” with a unique interpretation of ‘Love Changes Everything’ – who knew somebody could yawn in tune?
When you go to a John Owen-Jones concert, you aren’t just getting fantastic vocal performance, you are also getting stand up comedy. Naturally hilarious, he regularly had the audience in stitches with his brilliant one-liners with even the pre-show announcement full of his trademark humour. The biggest laugh of the evening may have come when referring to Susan Boyle as Alfie Boes sister “SuBo”. A John Owen Jones concert is very much in the same vein as an Adele one with truly gorgeous vocals mixed with completely contrasting spoken bits full of personality and humour.
It was 21 years ago since John Owen-Jones first stepped foot on this stage. Returning to play his own headline show was always going to be an emotional experience but what nobody had prepared for was that we would be sat in Her Majesty's Theatre on the eve of the Queens funeral, with a National minutes silence taking place midway through the show. Getting the audience to settle back in may not have been an easy task but John did it with a cheeky ease, segueing the moment by talking about “The Queen of Musical Theatre… Michael Ball” complete with a story about him he made the audience promise not to tell. As much as I’d love to share that brilliant moment, I worry John would drop a chandelier on my head if I did. Let’s just say secrecy is key with this one.
Of course, The Phantom of the Opera got a look in with a unique finale featuring the five Phantoms "of varying abilities" (his words not mine) where he was joined by Earl Carpenter, Scott Davies, Tim Howar and Ben Forster for an incredibly special one off performance of ‘Music Of The Night’. Less successful sequel Love Never Dies also got a rare outing in London with his stunning rendition of ‘Til I Hear You Sing’. Earl Carpenter joined John for ‘The Confrontation’ from Les Miserables as well as a solo performance of ‘Stars’. As well as the moment everybody was waiting for in ‘Bring Him Home’, John also got to tackle a number he doesn’t usually do in the show with a truly beautiful ‘I Dreamed A Dream’.
Johns stunning vocals were matched thanks to the accompaniment of a truly incredible group of musicians. The stage was bursting with talent creating a gorgeous sound fitting of the grand and iconic theatre they were in. The musicians were led by John Quirk who himself got his own moment in the spotlight with a beautiful 'Losing My Mind'.
John Owen-Jones really is as good as it gets. An expert performer, a master in storytelling and a natural comedian. Whether he is singing or talking, he had the audience in the palm of his hands throughout. When you see him live, you are guaranteed a phenomenal night out full of memories that will stay with you forever. Truly, one of the best the UK has to offer, this wasn't just the music of the night but also the performance of a lifetime.
★★★★★
Setlist:
Corner Of The Sky (Pippin)
Kiss Of The Spider Woman (Kiss Of The Spider Woman)
This Is The Moment (Jekyll & Hyde)
Some Enchanted Evening (South Pacific)
Evermore (Beauty and The Beast)
Love Changes Everything (Aspects Of Love)
Losing My Mind (Follies)
Sonny Boy (Al Jolson cover)
Stars (Earl Carpenter solo) (Les Miserables)
The Confrontation (Duet with Earl Carpenter) (Les Miserables)
Til I Hear You Sing (Love Never Dies)
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Feeling Good (Nina Simone cover)
Thunderball (Tom Jones cover)
I’d Rather Be Sailing (A New Brain)
Unusual Way (Nine)
Proud Lady (The Baker’s Wife)
Tell My Father (The Civil War)
I Dreamed A Dream (Les Miserables)
Bring Him Home (Les Miserables)
The Music Of The Night (with Earl Carpenter, Ben Forster, Tim Howar and Scott Davies) (The Phantom Of The Opera)
Delilah (Tom Jones cover)
Keep up to date with all things John Owen-Jones here
Photos by Danny Kaan