Michael Bublé and Bananarama at Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park – review

Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park is now as much a fixture on the scorcher season as al fresco beer, the tennis at Wimbledon and half-dressed guys in Old Compton Street.

Launched in 2013, it has seen the likes of The Rolling Stones, Carole King, Florence + The Machine, The Killers and Phil Collins packing out the park as well as younger acts like Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift.

This year’s line-up, running across two weekends with Roger Waters kicking things off on July 6th and Paul Simon bringing things to a close on Sunday, skewed more towards older acts, with Bruno Mars being the only under-40 headliner.

Mars played a hits-packed set, culminating in a rousing ‘Uptown Funk” that proved he’s one of the greatest showman with charisma to spare.

The same can be said for Michael Bublé, who even sang a snippet from the Hugh Jackman musical with his four-year-old son. Returning to the concert stage for the first time in two years, the Canadian crooner wasn’t going to let a bit of rain dampen his spirits.

Well, it wasn’t a bit of rain that greeted Van Morrison’s supporting appearance – more like a torrential downpour that continued for the rest of the night, with Bublé joking that singing in the rain was exactly what he had in mind when planning the show.

It’s a testament to his star quality and incredible voice, set off by a thrilling big band, that the audience ended up singing (and smiling and laughing) in the rain with him. And let’s be honest, even in a soggy suit the man is a class act.

Bananarama, the same day’s third-billed act, faired better with the weather and they brought the happy with a slimmed-down version of their 2017 tour, packing in everything from ‘Nathan Jones’ to ‘Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)’ alongside the best of the Stock Aitken Waterman years.

Three very cool ladies, they did their best to keep their cool in the baking heat and the odd vocal mess-up (which they put down to the lack of a sound check) only made them more endearing.

Speaking of cool, has there ever been a cooler singer-songwriter than James Taylor? Still sexy at age 70, he mellowed out the crowd with ‘You’ve Got A Friend’ and ‘Fire And Rain’ before picking up the pace with ‘How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)’. Bonnie Raitt, a rock chick with a strong LGBTQ following, was also on great form, singing the blues with that fabulously gravelly voice of hers.

Paul Simon’s vocals were a little wobblier at first, but then the man is 76 and on the last stretch of a five-decades-long performing career with his Homeward Bound Farewell Tour.

I’m a huge fan who for some reason has never seen him in concert but I’m delighted to have caught his swansong show, which featured choice Simon & Garfunkel cuts (a goosebump-inducing ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’, a stripped-down ‘The Boxer’) with the best of his solo catalogue.

Graceland remains his biggest-selling album so it was only right that he drew heavily on it, with ‘The Boy In The Bubble’ and ‘You Can Call Me Al’ being particular highlights. His adoption of South African sounds and use of South African musicians on the landmark album began Simon’s history of musical inclusivity, for which he should be saluted.

And if that really was his last-ever UK performance, and a very generous one at more than two hours, then he’s gone out on an absolute high.

Rating: 5/5

For more about Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park visit bst-hydepark.com, and for more great deals on tickets and show click here.

Words – Simon Button