Much more than classics at Bolton's Dubai show

Singer/ songwriter Michael Bolton didn’t quite bring the house down when he performed at the Jumeirah Madinat Arena on Thursday night to a mostly seated and mostly forty-something audience.Singer/ songwriter Michael Bolton didn’t quite bring the house down when he performed at the Jumeirah Madinat Arena on Thursday night to a mostly seated and mostly forty-something audience, but he did succeed in shaking a few legs during his 90-minute concert.However, where the striking blue-eyed soul singer did score heavily was in charming the pants off the sell-out crowed with his understated, yet extremely likeable style. Wearing blue jeans and an assortment of black shirts and T-shirts Bolton belted out a string of hits which included rousing covers of Otis Redding’s soulful 1967 hit (Sitting on) The Dock of the Bay, George Gershwin’s 1935 classic Summertime, Luciano Pavarotti’s powerful aria Nessun Dorma, and his very own smash hits Said I Loved You… but I Lied and How Can We Be Lovers.With his husky, soulful baritone Bolton, a self-styled vegetarian for the past 36 years, became one of the most distinguished and popular vocalists to emerge in the mid-80s and his Dubai gig demonstrated just why he recorded eight top 10 selling albums, had several number one singles and was the recipient of both Grammy and American Music Awards.“The good thing about have a hit is that the rent cheques stop bouncing,” Bolton joked before bursting into How Am I Supposed to Live Without You, an unflinching look at heartbreak that went down well with the audience who were also treated to some great, offhanded gospel-tinged vocals on his Grammy winning cover version of Percy Sledge’s 1966 hit When A Man Loves A Woman.Bolton juggled songs of merit, like the rocking Sweet Home Chicago and Time, Love & Tenderness with the less distinctive You Don’t Know Me and To Love Somebody, but the bright spots more than made up for the misses.As a singer Bolton has performed with some of the greatest recording artists of our time including Ray Charles, Placido Domingo, BB King, Zucchero, Celine Dion, Cher and Patti LaBelle and the richness of those experiences can be felt when Bolton performs live. Keeping the collaborative spirit alive he delivered a captivating duet with the classical-trained Kelly Levesque on the ruminating ballad To Make You Feel My Love.Bolton left the stage after stretching his vocal chords for 80-odd minutes before returning for the customary encore where he treated the crowd to an expertly performed interpretation of U2’s 1994 tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. Pride (In The Name of Love).Bolton live was a great night out and you didn’t need to have been a huge fan to have enjoyed the show. But for those who know him from his famously long-haired days, you could see that he is maturing quite gracefully.And yes, he did auction his hair when he cut it all off in 1997 and raised about $9,000 for women and children at risk.