Duffy - Manchester Apollo (From Warrington Guardian)

Duffy - Manchester Apollo

10:14am Wednesday 7th January 2009 in What's On By Nicola Davies

WITH her debut offering Rockferry billed as the best-selling album of 2008, the Welsh singer Duffy is the most successful new female artist of the year.

Performing on Sunday to a sold-out audience for the second consecutive night at the Manchester Apollo the 24-year-old had the awestruck venue dangling on her dulcet tones.

Wearing a retro black dress, the pint-sized singer, who is also the first female Welsh solo artist to achieve a number one pop single in the past 25 years (with her second single Mercy) came on stage to Rockferry.

With an audience that ranged from young children through to the retired, even the ageing hard nut with an earring who was standing next to me was singing along with gusto.

Throwing some new songs into her play list, which are likely to be as successful as the singles on her current hit album, the Welsh songstress sang her hits with practised perfection.

At a festival this summer she admitted to the crowd she could not dance and she has perfected her own Duffyesque moves: side-to-side steps, pointing, twirling her microphone lead and arching her back when hitting the big notes.

"She has perfected her own Duffyesque moves: side-to-side steps, pointing, twirling her microphone lead and arching her back when hitting the big notes"

Nicola Davies

While this reinforces her angelic girl-next-door sexy sassiness, it does not encourage the audience to move in anything other than gentle swaying, which made for a strangely static evening at the Apollo.

Ending an impressive performance with a tribute to Manchester’s superstars Oasis by singing a genteel version of Wonderwall, Duffy left the stage with another graceful twirl.