A diverse crowd braved the cold, wet Melbourne weather last Friday night and flocked to Hamer Hall seeking warmth from a soul diva double-bill.

Marcia Hines entertained the audience with her hour-long set, peppering her mix of old songs and covers with hilarious anecdotes about life in the disco era. The undoubted highlight of her set was an extended medley of her 70's hits, traversing classics like Fire and Rain and You.

It's rare for a support act to get a standing ovation, but after Hines' engaging performance, she more than earned hers.

The audience again leapt to their feet when Chaka Khan arrived on stage, her ample frame poured into the bravest of outfits (show me another 50-something woman wider than she is tall who has the chutzpah to wear a skin-tight lycra catsuit). She launched into her mighty cover of Prince's I Feel For You, then followed it up with the classic electro-soul of Ain't Nobody.

Although the focus of the evening was on Khan's commercially successful 80's hits, it was good to hear her more soulful songs with the late-70s funk band Rufus get an airing, including the Stevie Wonder penned-Tell Me Something Good and the gorgeous, breezy Sweet Thing.

However, Khan's performance style was something of an acquired taste. Three-quarters of the way through her set, a group of women near me picked up their handbags and headed for the exit, with one proclaiming, "I'm sorry, but I've had quite enough screaming for one night."

Their reaction was understandable. Khan has a remarkable voice, no doubt about it. But at this late stage in her career, it would seem that she's settled into a routine of vocal tics and mannerisms - specifically, the one-note wail. Her backing singers were left to deliver entire sections of her hits, while she'd scream "Aaaaaaah! Aaaaaaah!" endlessly. An impressive note the first time she hit it, but the 'wow' factor soon began to wear off.

Still, all was forgiven when Khan finished with a triumphant, soaring rendition of her signature song, I'm Every Woman - although the unforgiving cut of her catsuit meant we were never in any doubt.
 
Chaka Khan
Hamer Hall, June 14

By NICK BOND