Bonnie Raitt had already enjoyed Easter in Brighton before the concert; sightseeing, the sunshine and the consumption of chocolate putting in her in a pro-Anglo frame of mind.

Alluding to the crazily-designed Brighton Pavilion, she told a packed theatre with a smile: "I love the buildings. Was the guy who built the one across the street a straight? I don't think so."

On the brown sweet stuff, the lady who took on macho blues guitarists at their own game to earn respect added: "You Brits know how to do chocolate. Happy Easter!"

Her drummer, Ricky Fataar, once of the Beach Boys, was referred to as "Stig out of The Rutles" and virtuoso keyboard player Jon Cleary was revealed as a man of Kent.

Relaxed, amusing and self-deprecating, she stop-started three numbers in a row.

Forgetting the words to one, the 56-year-old joked: "That was a middle, not senior, moment."

"She's sexy," the Dutch metal fan with a Slipknot logo sewn on to her denim jacket whooped.

Red-haired Raitt's music, look and attitude oozed sassiness and class, featuring blues, soul, rock and country from her 35-year recording career, with her slide guitar and anti-Bush asides adding edge.