Sparkling stuff from Jewel

As soon as Jewel walked on stage, everyone knew who was going to be boss for the evening as a member of the audience was told to shut up as she was trying to sing.

This is the start of a huge world tour to promote Jewel's second album Spirit, for which she has brought a five-piece backing band to add an extra dimension to her music.

Dressed all in black complete with leather trousers, the elf-like blonde, hailed as the new Madonna, showed good stage presence but it was only after the first few numbers that her personality started to shine.

It was at this point the hippy singer joked and chatted with the audience, telling them how she and the support act singer/songwriter Steve Poltz went to Mexico to write songs and then got involved in a drugs bust with the local police.

It was this lengthy intro that led to the playing of a love song written there You Were Meant For Me.

Many of the numbers were performed by Jewel solo, accompanying herself on guitar. Throughout, her delivery and diction were outstanding and her voice ranged from a little-girl-lost treble to a mature resonance, apparent sometimes even in the same phrase of the song.

The show was brought to a climax as the Alaskan singer invited the audience to leave their seats to go down to the front, when she introduced new songs, in between mimicking amusingly to a band member's guitar sound before her speed yodelling finale.

After five years of just a guitar, the Alaskan born Swiss-American folk-rock poet is currently discovering the joys of a six piece band as she puts a large percentage of of recent album Spirit through its stage paces. Not quite rock chick, despite leather trousers, but cranked up enough to put new strength onto songs that prompt the term precious. For those having heart seizure at the very thought of Angel Standing By and Deep Water rocking out, there'll be a naked solo interlude as surely there'll be her infamous speed yodel finale. What remains a constant is that soaring bruised angel voice with its country hued soulfulness and songs that touch on being human and making the most of our best potential. Paste she's not.