REVIEW

NAVI - THE KING OF POP, THE LEGEND CONTINUES

WEYMOUTH PAVILION

NOT much in this life justifies the hype. Navi declares himself to be the world's number one Michael Jackson tribute and the series of clips leading up to his on stage appearance showing Navi as Michael fending off the paparazzi and being grilled in a series of chat show interviews set the bar very high indeed.

So it's a good job that from those first bars of Beat It and the slick dance moves of Black or White, Navi truly embodies the spirit of the late singer. Here was a man who made the cavernous Pavilion theatre seem small, with the extremely enthusiastic audience honoured to experience what is the closest thing we've ever had to a proper 'MJ' concert in Weymouth.

While at times the chutzpah and energy behind Smooth Criminal sounded a little too much for the theatre's acoustic capabilities, other numbers from Bad like The Way You Make Me Feel sounded like Michael himself could have been in the room.

Navi's self-styled 'world number one tribute' is certainly no fanciful declaration - Michael Jackson booked Navi to perform at two of his lavish birthday parties in New York and Los Angeles, and went on to give him a standing ovation.

The little extras we got on the night gave the show an endearingly provincial feel. In the singer's shaky, softly spoken voice Navi sounded uncannily like the star. However, the words that followed took the show into the realms of fantasy: "Where am I tonight? Weymouth?" It was also followed by a slight against Bournemouth which the crowd lapped up when 'Michael' brought the beat as he geared up for another number "You'd need a licence to do that in Bournemouth."

The live band and dancers gave the occasion an air of prestige with the duo's routine so precise they could have come straight from the Bad world tour.

It was clear to see how 'MJ's' legacy lives on by the massive age range in the audience. Youngsters who would have been just toddlers when the singer died in 2009 enjoyed the evening alongside their parents - and yes, there were even grandparents bopping along to Dirty Diana too.

JOANNA DAVIS