Leo Sayer. Embassy Theatre Skegness. 29 October 2026.

There are few occasions when I dare to use the word "Legend" to describe a pop star. I never dreamed I would consider using it for a singer I had little interest in during the 70s, and yet here I am calling Leo Sayer a legend of British pop music. The man came on stage just after 7:30pm, he shuffled on to a solo piano and proceeded to sing his heart out, and with only a relatively short interval, was still singing at 10:05pm. No support act, just Leo and his band and an amazing back catalogue of memorable songs from his entire career. The man earned the right to be referred to as a legend.

First things first, we need to get the elephant out of the room. Yes, Leo Sayer is 78 years old and has been touring the globe for 53 years. Does that mean he lacks the verve and swagger of performers of performers a third of his age? Not in the slightest. He demonstrated an impressive rock and blues bent during the show tonight and a actually possesses a really soulful voice.

It was a delight to see the Embassy sold out and around a thousand fans of his music really loving the chance to witness his performance, many had been fans since his heyday when he first hit the scene during the era of glam rock. I heard a discussion where one person said to another "How does that compare to hearing him perform in the 79s?" The answer was, "He's just as good now!"

A relatively diminutive performer, Sayer still manages to command the stage and his warmth and good humour go a long way towards winning the audience over. His banter between songs went down well, apart from a reference to Russell brand that made the audience's flesh crawl and emerged as a sharp wince and a few boos, as they hadn't expected to hear that name at this gig. Otherwise, he was very much in the beloved entertainer slot and chatted warmly with his fans from the stage.

I mentioned above, I was a little surprised by how bluesy much of the material performed was, and impressed by Sayer's accomplished harmonica playing throughout. His musicianship is exemplary and at times it often reminded me of the work of Paul Jones, of Manfred Mann and The Blues Band and yet with his shock of curly hair, also conjured up images of Bob Dylan, who Sayer name checks in the tour programme. It is no surprise then, that Dylan remains a hero to him eve today. several huge stars were name checked during the show including the late, great songstress, Dolly Parton and her sister Stella Parton and Roger Daltrey.

Sayer is though, a humble, self-effacing performer who no longer worries about how the public see him. If he has something to say, he says it and to hell with the consequences. His language got quite fruity at times and his new song Everyone Lies, really hit home how Sayer sees the world post-pandemic.

The songs performed with panache and flair and his backing band did a splendid job of finding just the right amount of showmanship so as never to upstage Sayer himself. On drums was Elliot Henshaw, who has played with many greats including Dame Shirley Bassey, Jon Lord,Paul Anka and many others as well as performing for numerous West End shows. Dave Day played guitar and has enjoyed working with the likes of Mica Paris, Pixie Lott, Paolo Nutini and Amy Winehouse. On bass, Richard Hammond (not THAT one), has performed with Gary Barlow, Imelda May, Alexander O'Neill and Tony Hadley. Finally, Steven Reid-Williams played the keys having been a full-time keyboard player for Paul Young as well as performing with Mel C, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, ABC and many others. Bringing together such accomplished performers clearly pays dividends as they provide rich musical and vocal accompaniment and never steal the lead performers limelight.

The show really covered Sayer's entire career, though his first hit, The Show Must Go On, was saved until almost the end of the show, We heard Just a Boy, When I Need You, Long Tall Glasses, Moonlighting (following a lovely little anecdote told with great humour), You Make Me Feel Like Dancing, More Than I Can Say, Thunder In My Heart (a surprise hit once again following a remix by Mekk) and a very bluesy version of Raining in My Heart, the old Buddy Holly standard also released by Sayer and reached 21 in the UK charts. The hits and the stories simply kept coming and the second half saw a cavalcade of scrapbook press cuttings from across Sayer's career which almost resembled some form of This Is Your Life.

The band returned for the inevitable encore and the swell of love for Sayer overwhelmed the auditorium. He expressed the hope that he will return and said, "If anyone thinks I should retire, or stop performing... they and **** off!" A bold challenge from a performer whose love of the music compels his reappearance on stage after more than 50 years. Long may this legend continue to tour, perform and spread joy among his fans.

Andy Evans 30 October 2026