Diana fails to keep us hangin' on

DIANA ROSS is a cross-over pop/soul superstar who has long since sided with feel-good showbusiness techniques rather than remaining faithful to the strait-laced but superb Tamla Motown sound of the Sixties.

It's a crying shame that Ross dispenses with the Sixties legacy she is best known for, though.Can't Hurry Love, and You Keep Me Hangin' On is dutifully performed, but there is little emotional value in its execution, merely a perfunctory nod to a more illustrious past.

Musically, it was the greatest hits that touched the soft spot. Audience ennui was obvious during the extended, generally unfamiliar material, a factor made all the more strained by the extended applause given to each of Diana's extravagant costume changes.

Which is not to say that last night's concert wasn't enjoyable. It was in a stretch limo, oysters'n'champagne kind of way - pleasant enough for a couple of hours but you wouldn't want it as a soundtrack to the rest of your life.