Beth Ditto review: Solo belle shines brightest when she stays true to her roots

Beth Ditto gave a masterclass in the art of disarmingly frank stage banter in front of an audience she treated as old friends.

Recalling an extreme wardrobe malfunction at an early London gig a decade ago, she teased: “I promise you full-frontal tonight.” Although she had a saucy side, this beehived Southern belle — resplendent in her sequined dress — was more heartfelt when it came to her love affair with Britain.

“Every time I leave, I feel like crying,” she gushed.

Ditto was back to play songs from debut solo album Fake Sugar, released in the summer following the demise of her group Gossip.

If Koko felt like a step down, she didn’t show it during a bracing disco set punctuated with her warm witticisms and the occasional burst of Big Spender for comic effect.

She unleashed her quavering, bluesy voice over her backing band’s clipped guitars and churning bass on throbbing dance tunes including Oo La La, which was dedicated to her mother and hinted at Ditto’s hardscrabble upbringing in Arkansas.

While she was a committed performer, at times Ditto seemed adrift without Gossip, who split after 16 years together. The album’s title track successfully combined twanging country with a clubby groove, though the show faltered when she edged into middle-of-the-road territory on rock ballads Lover and We Could Run. Mutual appreciation was restored with a cover of Erasure’s A Little Respect. “I can’t sing it for shit — carry me, London,” she pleaded.

In fact, she did the Eighties synth-pop hit justice. But her powerhouse vocal was most effective when she revived Gossip’s breakthrough smash, gay rights anthem Standing In The Way Of Control, transforming from dance diva to political firebrand. Ditto’s ferocious rendition was the high point of a performance that was best when she stayed true to her disco-punk roots.