Mark Ronson

UEA LCR, Norwich

The proposition of seeing Mark Ronson live is a strange one.

On the one hand he is a talented producer with a hugely popular album. But on the other it is difficult to comprehend how he will pull off his recording-studio trickery on stage.

But any doubts the crowd may have had were put to bed early on as Ronson, his band and a troupe of enthusiastic (overly- enthusiastic in some cases) guests delivered a display of enormous energy.

With thundering horns, pumping bass and a cacophony of brilliantly soulful voices, this was simply irresistible.

While Ronson's guitar may have been mixed suspiciously low throughout the performance, there is no doubt he has an eye for talent, an ear for a tune and masterful skills at arrangement.

A predictable highlight was the cover of the Zutons' Valerie with Talia - a shorter, bouncier version of Mary J Blige after several cans of Red Bull - taking on the vocals originally re-penned for Amy Winehouse.

In fact Talia's performance was one of the highlights of the night as she put in a more-than- acceptable delivery of Oh My God - a song recreated so skilfully by Lily Allen that it has almost become more synonymous with her than it has its creators the Kaiser Chiefs.

She also joined forces with Daniel Merriweather on a cover of a cover - Stevie Wonder's version of the Beatles' We Can Work It Out. The reasons for this track's exclusion from the album Version are unfathomable.

The highlights came thick and fast and were too many to mention. However, Merriweather's collaboration with Wale on Britney Spears' Toxic was always going to be a crowd pleaser as was the encore, Stop Me.