Nile Rodgers and Chic at Glasgow Academy

What a night! The cheer that reverberated around the 02 Academy in Glasgow last night when Nile Rodgers and Chic finally paused between songs, following their classic Le Freak, was among the loudest I have ever heard in 22-years of gig going in Glasgow. And it didn't stop, it went on again, again and again. Nile smiled and looked genuinely amazed. The cheer came back again and Nile asked his keyboard player to take a picture of the crowd.

When I got home i tweeted Nile and he replied;

2. Nile Rodgers ‏@nilerodgers  11h11 hours ago

   @murrayeaston My ears are still ringing from the ROAR of the crowd! True Fact!

   View conversation3 retweets16 favorites
3. 11h11 hours ago

   
   

The Academy was a complete sell-out and Nile strolled on to the stage alone to chat to to the crowd and introduce the video for Chic's new single I'll Be There, an up temp disco beauty that plays on the old Sister Sledge classic Got To Love Somebody.

Nile then returned with his exceptional band and got everyone straight into the groove with an amazing opening trio of Everybody Dance, Dance Dance Dance (Yowsah Yowsah Yowsah) and I Want Your Love!

The crowd responded by dancing, clapping, waving their hands in the air and generally having the best Monday night ever. It didn't let up!

Nile announced he would be playing songs he had written and produced over the years and kicked off with a Diana Ross double - the blissful I'm Coming Out and the exquisite Upside Down. This was disco heaven, Nile patrolling the stage playing and feeling his guitar; letting us hear and see some of the best disco funk riffs of all time.

A medley containing the likes of He's The Greatest Dancer (one of my highlights of the night), We Are Family, Madonna's Like A Virgin, Lost In Music and Duran Duran's Notorious had the crowd in raptures.

This was a musical lesson; short verse, huge choruses hammered home again and again, raising it up, taking out the beat and bringing it all back in again. All the time underpinned by Rodgers unique guitar playing.

The two female singers were brilliant and Nile took time to thank them and all of his band.

Thinking Of You is one of my all-time favourites and it was a real hands in the air moment while the cover of Carly Simon's Why was superb.

I'll Be There is the new single and Nile told us about how he was diagnosed with cancer 5-years ago and how he decided he wanted to let the doctors do what they do and he would do what he does - make music. I'll Be There was a highlight, as was the delicious Get Lucky, Nile's single with Daft Punk that gave him a whole new audience.

The set was all one big highlight but the closing quartet of My Forbidden Lover, an outstanding romp through Bowie's Let's Dance, the aforementioned Le Freak and the closer Good Times really raised the roof, with Rodgers inviting people on stage to dance.

This was a special night with Rodgers blown away by the audience response - this was a Monday night; he should try a Saturday night at the Barrowlands!