Reviewed by PP Arnold at Stockton Arts Center on Saturday

Of course, this part of the world means a lot to PP Arnold because of his connections to the Mods and Northern Soul in particular. And when the singer asked the audience how many Northern Soul fans we have in the house tonight? The Stockton audience didn’t need to be asked twice – as PP Arnold led fans to Northern Soul classic ‘Everything’s Gonna Be Alright’.

PP Arnold has had an almost incomparable career. From her days in the Ike and Tina Turner Revue as one of the Ikettes, her association with Mick Jagger to performing with many other performers including the Small Faces and more recently Steve Craddock. The artist’s incredible songbook and star-studded career are legendary.

Speaking of one of these legends: Tina Turner unfortunately passed away at the beginning of the year. A stormy rendition of “River Deep Mountain High” was a perfect fit to close the show and was also a heartfelt tribute to the artist’s mentor, Tina Turner.

Throughout the evening PP Arnold took the Teesside audience down memory lane. The start of the set featured a wonderful rendition of Medicated Goo. But the artist’s stories enriched every track on the setlist. And if you want to hear more of Pat’s stories, the singer’s autobiography “Soul Survivor” is highly recommended.

Speaking of which, “Soul Survivor” also happens to be the title of PP Arnold’s upcoming single. And with its fast-paced, funky groove, the track is a future classic.

PP Arnold paid tribute to their musical brothers The Small Faces with an incredible rendition of (If You Think You’re) Groovy. A song written by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane in 1968.

The singer delivered a captivating rendition of the Bee Gees classic “To Love Somebody.” A track that was featured on PP Arnold’s second album Kafunta. PP’s stirring vocals in the latter stages of the track captivated the audience.

Of course, the show wouldn’t be complete without the beautiful performances of Angel of the Morning and The First Cut Is The Deepest. A song written by the legend Cat Stevens and released in 1967 by PP Arnold. The singer previously joked that she released the song ten years before Rod Stewart and that Sheryl Crow wasn’t even born at that point. Both are artists who have covered the song throughout their careers.

During a highly entertaining evening of music, PP Arnold emphasized the importance of keeping these songs alive and introducing them to new retro music lovers. “I love singing,” she said. “We love to play. We love music.” On Friday night in Stockton, the feeling was certainly mutual.