Natasha Bedingfield & Friends
London Westminster Plaza Hotel
2nd December, 2011

Performing for the Global Angels charity to a room packed with what sounded like a champagne-swilling puffin colony (rich donors at tables, afore the £70 cheap seats), Natasha captivated for 100 minutes, running through her life-enhancing trip-hop/ pop catalogue, beginning with the clapalong Unwritten, ably assisted half way by Leona Lewis. Despite the chattering twattery (would Clarkson take them out?), she slayed one and all on a solo Better In Time, before Natasha took over the calypso lilt of Neon Lights, while her vocals soared on Bruise Easily. John Forte rendered husky reggae/blues on Give Me Water, before a sweet duet and the dubby Pocket Full Of Sunshine. Strangely, Natasha’s cover of Purple Rain got the penguin suits’ attention, and Joss Stone belting out Message In A Bottle kept order. Her biting Man’s World left all gathered in awe, and Natasha impressed too with Single, before acoustic and piano numbers drifted by. Daniel Bedingfield strutted to Weightless, the “filthy rich” unironically grooving to the siblings’ duet. Another highlight was the closing high of These Words, which segued into One Love, while an encore included Joss and John returning to kick ass on Walking On The Moon, Stir It Up, a funky Use Me and a closing medley taking in Smooth Operator, Sweet Dreams and Ride On Time. Scintillating.