The Brighton Centre,

Wednesday, December 4

THERE are not many artists that can rival Dido for achieving the level of commercial success she did with their debut album.

Her 1999 debut album No Angel not only helped define a period in time, but has sold more than 21 million copies worldwide, while her album Life For Rent also features within the top ten UK selling albums of the Noughties.

Given this, it was little wonder that she felt she needed to retreat slightly from public life but the Brighton Centre seems a little shocked when she says that it has been a 15-year gap between this and her last world tour.

This was a captivating set by an artist who genuinely looks like they enjoy performing.

Though classic songs such as Here With Me and Thank You play a pivotal role in the set while her newer material from recently released fifth album Still On My Mind shows an artist who is moving forward creatively.

It was a set that was musically eclectic ranging from stripped-back, near-acoustic numbers such as No Freedom to more upbeat pop songs such as Sand In My Shoes while the as yet unreleased song The Last Summer that she created alongside her brother Rollo and Sister Bliss from Faithless is a potential future dance anthem.

Her onstage banter between songs swerved from subjects such as her love of our city, the sea, holiday romances and her recent experience with a drycleaners.

It was hard to believe she had never played Brighton before.

It seemed right that she should end the night by asking the audience for suggestions for the final song – the overwhelming choice White Flag ensured no one left disappointed.

Nathan Westley