Anastacia at the Hammersmith Apollo

Originally planned for 2020 as a celebration of 20 years since the release of her debut single and album, this is a long overdue celebration as Anastacia takes to the Hammersmith Apollo stage for the aptly named I’m Outta Lockdown tour. With a career spanning over two decades, the American songstress needs no introduction. And yet, established early on, many of tonight’s revellers are witnessing her superstardom live for the first time.

“My job is to sing the shit out of tonight” – and that she does. Powering through songs from her discography, her vocal abilities are undeniable.

Full of the glitz and glamour one would expect from a singer of this calibre, at times the performance feels more like a stage show, as if perfectly plucked out of a Vegas residence. Split into three sections, with costume changes included of course, she is accompanied by three dancers, a band and her own backup singer à la hype woman. Throughout the show she allows each to shine, most notably having her own “Strictly moment” during the sultry Why’d You Lie to Me as the dancers take centrestage. Jam sessions and dance routines are a reoccurrence throughout, keeping the mood lively.

There is something very charming and extremely likeable about Anastacia. Despite over 30 million record sales to her name, she is unexpectedly humble, making jokes and playing around with the audience between songs. One instance, towards the end of the show, sees the 54-year-old launch flawlessly into a full split. With a voice like hers, she has very little to prove, but it is clear she’s enjoying herself just as much as her adoring legion of fans. Song highlights include an electrifying cover of Guns N’ Rose’s Sweet Child O’ Mine, obvious fan favourite Sick and Tired and the stripped-back Everything Burns – best known from the Fantastic Four soundtrack. It is a genre-defying setlist that somehow blends effortlessly together.

A joyful evening from start to end, soon it is time for the song that launched her career, I’m Outta Love, to close out the show. Followed by a rousing encore of Left Outside Alone, it is an exhilarating powerhouse of a combination. Yet, perhaps the most powerful moment of the evening happens after it’s all over: as the band take their bow and leave the stage, Anastacia stays behind to sing just a few more choruses a capella. As she eventually bounds off stage right, it leaves the desire for more. 20 years in and she’s still got it. It may be a tour two years delayed, but it seems that for everyone tonight it was well worth the wait.

Katherine Parry
Photos: Mike Garnell

For further information and future events visit Anastacia’s website here.

Watch the video for the single Why’d You Lie to Me here: