BBC Radio 2 In The Park – A Musical Feast

The Radio 2 In The Park live event arrived in Leicester’s Victoria Park for a weekend that offered a line-up of some of the biggest names in pop music, including the live return of one of the genre’s biggest stars, Kyle Minogue.

That the station can command a stellar list such as this bears testament to the standing and power of Radio 2, the biggest radio station in Europe, in terms of the number of listeners.

Opening the weekend and celebrating their Twentieth anniversary, Busted pulled the stops out for an energetic performance, which was further boosted by Hanson joining the band on stage for MMM Bop 2.0, reminding everyone that pop music can still be fun yet engaging at the same time.

Beverley Knight lived up magnificently to her title of Queen of British Soul with a soulful set, though the inclusion of two new songs might not have been the best idea in a thirty-minute set where familiarity is more pertinent than showcasing fresh material. By closing with Everything’s Gonna Be Alright, Knight left the fans with a big smile on their faces.

Scotland’s finest, Deacon Blue, might have apologised for their country’s performance so far in the Rugby World Cup, though the band’s storming set was nothing to be apologetic about. Ricky Ross can still make the songs soar and remind you how Deacon Blue is still underrated thirty years on from when they released their first album.

James Blunt dispelled his image of being safe, comfortable, and unchallenging by surfacing across the fans in an inflatable dinghy as he sang his hit 1973, which came as a surprise that was totally unexpected, especially following his ballad You’re Beautiful. Top marks to him for making the effort to make his appearance memorable.

Following their triumphant performance at this year’s Glastonbury Festival, Texas gave a masterclass in presentation, style, and class. Thankfully, lead singer Sharleen Spiteri reigned in the colourful language she normally displays on stage, instead letting hits such as Summer Sun and Say What You Want To Do the talking that won them many new fans in an all-too-short thirty-minute set that was for many the highlight of the day.

Bananarama built their career around cover versions and hits written by the famous production team Stock, Aitken, and Waterman. Now, with only two members surviving from the line-up, the energy seemed to drop, especially when Texas had been in top form.

Headlining on Saturday evening, Tears for Fears treated the audience and Radio 2 listeners with a resume of their successful careers, including the classic Everybody Wants To Rule The World.

Sunday saw Simply Red open up the festival. Led by Mick Hucknall, the band came out of their comfort zone for an energetic cover of Nutbush City Limits. Sam Ryder, the saviour of the Eurovision Song Contest, as far as the UK is concerned, gave a warm and friendly set that concluded with his runner-up Eurovision entry, Space Man.

Lemar might have been missing in action of late, but that did not stop the soulful singer from reminding everyone of his past with If There’s Any Justice and 50/50—there were no half marks here with this full-on performance.

Fresh from singing on Strictly Come Dancing, Jessie Ware brought a touch of class to the proceedings with her mixture of soul, dance, and pop with Free Again and Begin Again, adding a dash of disco to her early afternoon slot. Timeless songs that were packaged with a strong voice and a theatrical presentation in a superlative recital.

"I feel like I am dressed as a banana," offered Rick Astley as the singer took to the stage in a striking yellow suit. Never Gonna Stop— his new single came with a Memphis-style groove, though it would not have been complete without the obligatory Never Gonna Give You Up. Astley willingly obliged, as 36,000 voices sang the song back to him in unison—even the cynical would have been impressed.

Shalamar appeared to be the odd one out in the line-up. Their brand of soul and disco came from two previous decades, compared to the rest of the music that was on offer during the two-day festival. Naturally, A Night To Remember came at the end of a notably strong presentation.

Chrissie Hynde, the singer and guitarist in The Pretenders, still had the aura of being cool, relevant, yet still alluring, with a set that read like a greatest hits list, with Brass In Pocket sounding excellent.

With a four-year gap since she last graced a UK stage to perform a full-length concert, Kylie Minogue’s headline slot was the most anticipated one of the weekend, and the diminutive singer did not disappoint. Dressed initially in a blue PVC suit and later in a body-hugging red outfit, her fourteen-strong set included hits from the length of her career as well as giving fans a taste of what to expect on her new album, Tension, due for release at the end of September.

The rumour of a big duet came to fruition as Jessie Ware arrived on stage to give Kiss of Life a big injection of dynamism. As the confetti cannons exploded on All the Lovers, there was nothing not to love as Minogue concluded a set and a musical weekend that will leave memories spinning around for years to come for those that witnessed this fine extravaganza.