Chic
London Kentish Town Forum
10th November, 2011

Chic’s appearance at the Forum came in on a wave of publicity generated for leader Nile Rodgers’ captivating memoir, Le Freak, and also the news of his cancer, which has pushed his restless work ethic even further. This is a joyous Chic, a modified version of the band that last played the Forum two years ago. Rodgers marshalled his team and material perfectly, with the appropriate sophistication and élan that prevented it from becoming an end-of-the-pier review at every turn. Rodgers enjoyed every second, playing his trademark choppy riffs like it was the first time he’d ever picked his guitar up. Artie Reynolds has taken over from Jerry Barnes on bass, and valiantly attempted Bernard Edwards’ magic fluidity, while Kim Davis-Jones and Folami Ankoanda-Thompson sang pitch-perfect versions of the hits. By the time of Thinking For You, the audience – a mixture of scenesters, hen parties and seasoned industry professionals – were grooving like there was no tomorrow. Best of all was the stage invasion during Le Freak and Good Times, making Rodgers – surrounded by 50+ audience members, swamping the nine-piece band – look like the disco Morrissey.