Stevie Wonder opened his tour marking the half-century milestone of his celebrated record Songs in the Key of Life at Birmingham's Utilita Arena. Positioned amongst a collection of synthesisers, keyboards and a grand piano, the musician addressed the crowd during the opening performance of the anniversary dates.
The staging featured a substantial ensemble including a string section, five brass players, three percussionists, two guitarists, and six backing vocalists. Wonder explained that performing the record in its entirety had been a long-held ambition made difficult by the large number of performers required, though the current live setup scaled down considerably from the 108 musicians involved in the original studio sessions.
Original source: Stevie Wonder review – playing his greatest album in full, he knocks everyone sideways
