Review: The Three Degrees at The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury
Legendary American divas of soul The Three Degrees took fans back to the 1970s with a fantastic performance at a packed Shrewsbury nightclub.
The chart-toppers took to the stage at The Buttermarket on Saturday as part of their 50th anniversary celebrations to wild roars of approval from the packed out crowd.
The three singers – famous for hits such as When Will I See You Again? and Dirty Ol' Man– showed they had lost none of the old glamour or sparkle at the one-off show, where they signed autographs and chatted to fans afterwards.
Taking to the stage to rapturous applause from the crowd, the trio of Helen Scott, Valerie Holiday and Freddie Pool were accompanied by a live band and sang all their classics including Givin' Up Givin' In, The Runner and Take Good Care of Yourself.
Fans young and old danced through the set which lasted over an hour and also included popular covers such as Boogie Wonderland by Earth, Wind and Fire.
A huge conga-style train made its way around the venue as the trio belted out Love Train by The O'Jays and fans almost blew the roof off during When Will I See You Again.
Perhaps the loudest cheer of the night came when Ms Scott asked people talking loudly amongst themselves to quieten down.
"I don't mind you talking to each other," she said.
"But I would appreciate it if you didn't do it so loudly when I am talking to you."
The group were formed in 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, America and have always performed as a trio, although there have been a number of personnel changes and a total of 15 women have represented the group so far.
The original members were Fayette Pinkney, Shirley Porter and Linda Turner, although the most successful line-up was Fayette with Sheila Ferguson and Valerie Holiday, who were responsible for recording the 1974 single When Will I See You Again.
Their trademark song was a huge international hit, peaking at number two in the US and topping the UK Singles Chart.
Despite the changes in personnel, the concert went down a storm with the enthusiastic crowd at The Buttermarket, who were dancing from start to finish.
The three women all performed with verve and had great stage presence and charisma, taking the appreciative audience back in time.
By Andrew Morris
