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We all need more soul in our lives and there’s been no greater purveyor and innovator than the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. She began as a gospel singer and from a very young age, seemed to have a voice well beyond her years. We’re very lucky, therefore, to be able to hear a similarly powerful and transcendent voice from renowned pop singer, Cleopatra Higgins fronting Night Owls Shows’ The Aretha Franklin Story. This isn’t toe-tapping covers – this is a full on booty-shaking, hollering at the heavens, sweaty, sassy good time. Just as Aretha would have wanted it.

The band rocked through her biggest hits, easily putting the audience on their feet and then brought things down with some tender sweet moments. Documentary clips projected onto the back wall positioned the audience to appreciate the historical context of Aretha’s climb to superstardom and her incredible numbers of awards and chart-topping hits.

But in the end, it’s all about the voice and Higgins has it, no doubt about that – bringing more than a few punters to tears. She has big charisma and a voice that is both soulfully simple and spectacularly acrobatic. It’s everything I hoped for from an Aretha Franklin tribute, but I also hazard a guess that one day there might be a Cleopatra Higgins Story tribute show – let’s wait and see.

The rest of the band are similarly excellent with a tight rhythm section and backing singers with strong enough voices to lead a show of their own. The whole scene at the Symposium is impressive and Night Owl Shows, as one of the major companies there, have built a wonderful community of artists honouring the legacies of some legendary artists.

I recommend people check out their entire suite of shows as there is bound to be some celebrating your favourite musos and you can trust the bands will be superb. Higgins also fronts Night Owl Shows’ The Whitney Houston Story which I will have to catch as well. If she captures Houston to the degree she did Aretha, it will be another unmissable show. Get on it.

Stuart Bruce