Cat Power – Albert Hall, Manchester – 4th November 2026. Twenty years on, still The Greatest.

THE GREATEST – THE FINEST

“The Greatest wasn’t an album about being the best, it was about just being better…” Cat Power introduced her finest piece of work as she greeted an appreciative Albert Hall crowd during the 20 year anniversary of The Greatest. Twenty years and a lifetime of change has taken place, yet tonight a sell-out Albert Hall got to experience her seminal album live and in-person once again. For me, like many others there, possibly live for the first time. Over that twenty years, how we consume music and how music reaches us has changed, but tonight was set to prove that incredible music delivered through a magnificent voice and a great band transcends that which now drives an industry. 

Entering the stage, bathed in a blue hue, Cat Power humbly thanks the crowd for being present, yet created a softness and warmness through her self-deprecating humour about some intimate wardrobe malfunctions. As the laughs died down and the opening bars of the self-titled opening track began, her voice rose through the and across the room to fill The Albert Hall with a voice that, for me, has always deserved greater recognition. There’s something incredible, in fact wonderful, about watching someone who is still brilliant at what they do, 20 years after first falling in love with their music. Even more so when they appear to be enjoying the moment as much as the audience are. 

SOMETHING TO BEHOLD

The beauty of this gig, was that it was complete, song-for-song performance of The Greatest – originally release in 2006. It is simply a brilliant album, but hearing Cat deliver it, with the raspy, warm voice was something to behold! As the tight drum intro played for Living Proof, she settled into the mic and moments later we were drenched in that smoky, jazz-like sound. Her best, most poignant song is Lived In Bars. I had been eagerly anticipating hearing it all day, and there was no disappointment as it was delivered in the most stunning fashion; Cat Power stood stage centre whilst the excellent musicians around her poured their incredible talent into bringing it to life. The same brilliance evident in Could We which, of all the tracks, doesn’t sound like it has aged a day. 

As she moved through the mid part of the album, Willie being the standout performance of this run, it became ever clearer that this wasn’t a simple run through of a superb album, but a homage to it. Cat Power is clearly very proud of what she produced over two decades ago, and that pride swells over both levels of the Albert Hall. Where is Love was as poignant now as it was twenty years ago but it was the digitised version of The Moon which brought another dimension to the set. 

EMOTIONALLY HEAVY

Where Is My Love, picked beautifully on the piano, with it’s emotionally-heavy lyrics began the wrapping-up of the first set. Hate/Unhate is always going to land hard when performed live and this evening that was evident by the rapturous response from the crowd. As Cat Power and the band wrapped up the first set with Love and Communication, it was clear that another twenty years could pass and this album would still sound as remarkable as it does today. As she exited the stage, there was further humility from Power as she almost couldn’t understand exactly why it had the longevity it has shown. 

Alas, the night was not to end there. Following a short interval, during which the band kept things moving with an extended jam, Cat Power returned to the stage for a second set that brought together everything that makes her such a compelling artist.

AWAY FROM THE FAMILIAR

Moving away from the familiar territory of The Greatest, the setlist offered a fascinating insight into the breadth of her musical influences and her ability to make other people’s songs entirely her own. Prince’s Nothing Compares 2 U, Kitty Wells’ It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels and James Brown’s Try Me sat alongside her own compositions, before the most unique and haunting Sammy Fain’s I’ll Be Seeing You left everyone there completely spellbound. The outro closing Baby Please Don’t Go brought a beautifully rounded close to her extended set. 

It’s this ability to move between musical styles and traditions that makes Cat Power so distinctive. Her voice has a warmth and resonance that feels almost timeless, with a jazz-like control that allows her to move effortlessly between the intimacy of a ballad and the more demanding territory of soul, blues and country.

INFECTIOUS ENTHUSIASM

But perhaps the most enjoyable thing about watching her perform is just how much she seems to love doing it. There’s no sense of an artist dutifully revisiting a celebrated period of her career. Instead, there’s an infectious enthusiasm for the music, the musicians around her and the audience fortunate enough to be sharing the evening.

Twenty years on, The Greatest remains a remarkable record, but tonight was a reminder that its greatest achievement might be the artist who made it. The voice is still extraordinary, the musical curiosity undiminished and the joy of performing seemingly as infectious as ever. Some records stand the test of time. Some artists simply make you realise why you fell in love with music in the first place.

Cat Power: Website

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