June 29 2007. Al Green stormed into the MEN Arena, Manchester for the latest leg of his UK tour to the kind of rapturous reception befitting the reputation the north west of England has for being a hot bed of classic soul. The regions soul brothers and sisters were out in force for a show that opened with the sensational Candi Staton who proved, much like good wine, that time had done nothing to dull her magic or dim her undoubted star quality. With an extensive discography that reaches back as far as 1969, and which includes its fair share of gospel records, she had much to entice her audience and did just that with staples from way back that included her 1971 smash ‘Stand By Your Man’ and the 1977 ‘Nights On Broadway’. Bringing it back to now she turned it down for the message laden title track from her 2006 CD ‘His Hands’ before whipping the crowd into a frenzy with her 1976 anthem ‘Young Hearts Run Free’. Staton ensured the arena remained completely supercharged by closing her set with the stunning ‘You Got The Love’. This track started out on Staton’s 1990 gospel album ‘Stand Up And Be A Witness’ only to become a disco blockbuster courtesy of her collaboration with The Source. It gave her tight well drilled band, which included two of her sons plus former Style Council stalwart Mick Talbot on keys, the chance to really excel and guaranteed that the audience were totally ready for the Reverend Green.