Chic @ Academy Birmingham, Wednesday 25th March 2015

I wasn’t going to review this gig...and this isn’t really a review...but I couldn’t let it pass without a few words. From the opening grooves of Dance Dance Dance right through to the now traditional stage invasion (albeit a polite, very well organised stage invasion) at the end for Good Times Nile Rodgers and Chic played more grin-inducing-arms-in-the-air-dance-like-no-one’s-watching hits than any band I’ve ever seen. EVER. 

It’s perhaps easy to forget just how many songs Nile’s been involved with but on top of Chic’s output (arguably the definitive disco-graphy) there’s Sister Sledge’s We Are Family, Lost In Music and He’s The Greatest Dancer (sadly I’m not but I gave it my best shot) Duran Duran’s Notorious, Madonna’s Like A Virgin, Diana Ross’s Upside Down and I’m Coming Out and Bowie’s Let’s Dance (again I got an A for effort for a more modest F for achievement).

Whilst Nile is the only original Chic-ster in the outfit the rest of the band is superb and I’d go so far as to say that they’re every bit as good as the original line-up (judged purely from watching grainy footage on You Tube of course...how old do you think I am...actually don’t answer that). He’s not resting on his laurels though. 2013’s Get Lucky also got an outing as did brand new Chic track I’ll Be There which touchingly references Rodger’s old partner Bernard Edwards (who passed away almost 20 years ago after playing a gig) and combines that definitive Chic groove with a neat little Daft Punk edge. 

Having danced cancer into submission recently Nile acknowledges this evening that he’s making the most of this second chance, playing, writing and recording an insane number of gigs and tracks. On top of a new Chic album he’s working on Duran Duran’s next release (now that’s an intriguing prospect) and lord knows what else. It’s clearly working wonders for him though, the smile didn’t leave the dude’s face from start to finish and even when the show was over he was still up there on stage dancing away as the video for I’ll Be There played behind him. Truly an artist who goes the extra Nile. 

If you get a chance to see Chic take it, trust me. Good Times? You bet, the best...the very best.