Shalamar, having been formed in 1976 by the producers of the American musical television show Soul Train, are celebrating 50 years together with an extensive tour. Their current line-up features long-serving members Jeffrey Daniel and Howard Hewitt, with Carolyn Griffey replacing Jody Watley.
Before the main event, we were treated to a set from Gwen Dickey, the voice of Rose Royce, one of the great soul bands of the late 1970s, whose songwriter and producer was Motown’s legendary studio man, Norman Whitfield.
Gwen opened with ‘Is It Love You’re After’ and immediately felt the affection of the audience, who sang along to every word. ‘Ooh Boy’ followed before she delivered a fabulous rendition of ‘Wishing on a Star’ that had the audience on their feet applauding at the end. The love and appreciation for her were palpable. There was a technical hitch that prevented her from performing her new single, ‘Water’, but that didn’t affect the show. She closed with two Rose Royce classics, ‘Love Don’t Live Here Anymore’ and, of course, ‘Car Wash’, and left the stage to a standing ovation.
I was in Row B, seated just a few feet from the stage. Around me were people determined to dance the night away, so when Shalamar took to the stage, almost the entire theatre was up and dancing. Their set was divided into a series of medleys, which meant the music and energy were absolutely non-stop. ‘The Second Time Around’, ‘Make That Move’, ‘Friends’, ‘Sweeter as the Days Go By’, ‘I Owe You One’ and ‘Dead Giveaway’ allowed Hewitt, Griffey and Daniel to really find their groove. And they never let it go.
The decision to structure the set around four extended medleys is a clever one. It gives the show the feel of what it might have been like on the dance floors of jazz-funk clubs and underground venues in the early 1980s.
There were slower moments too, made more intimate by the band’s interaction with their audience, or “Friends” as they like to call them. Hewitt sang ‘For the Lover in You’ directly to a couple celebrating their 43rd wedding anniversary. A rousing ‘Take That to the Bank’ ended with the band showering the audience with Shalamar banknotes. More hits followed, as did more jazz-funk: ‘Dancing in the Sheets’ and ‘Full of Fire’. During these extended medleys, clever little riffs from Prince, Chic, Isaac Hayes and A Tribe Called Quest were woven into the arrangements.
Shalamar are as famous for Jeffrey Daniel’s groundbreaking dancing as they are for their music. His signature style is a dynamic fusion of popping, locking, waacking and jazz-funk, characterised by fluid body glides and moonwalking. He saved the best for the final three songs: ‘There It Is’, ‘I Can Make You Feel Good’ and the encore, ‘A Night to Remember’.
Shalamar’s greatest strength remains their ability to make every audience member feel part of the show. The interaction between the band and their “Friends” created an atmosphere that was both celebratory and intimate, while the relentless energy of the performance ensured the theatre felt more like a packed dancefloor than a seated venue. Half a century after the group’s formation, Shalamar remain a formidable live proposition.
Shalamar continue touring this year and tickets can be found at,
https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/shalamar-tickets/artist/2178206
Reviewer: Adrian Cork
On: 29/05/2026
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