Mixed reactions greet Houston’s return

The gig, in Birmingham, suffered a few hitches. A 15-minute costume change left fans restless, while a microphone had to be replaced at another point. Houston, 46, tours the UK throughout April and May, including three nights at London’s O2 arena.‘Really enjoyed it’The 46-year-old had originally planned to kick off the UK leg of her […]

The gig, in Birmingham, suffered a few hitches. A 15-minute costume change left fans restless, while a microphone had to be replaced at another point.

Houston, 46, tours the UK throughout April and May, including three nights at London’s O2 arena.‘Really enjoyed it’The 46-year-old had originally planned to kick off the UK leg of her tour in Manchester last Thursday, but was forced to pull out due to respiratory illness.

But the US star told the audience at Birmingham’s LG Arena: “I’m feeling pretty good”.Colin Paterson, BBC Entertainment reporter in his review said there were great moments – It’s Not Right, But It’s OK and How Will I Know were problem free.

But I Will Always Love You will live long in the memory, and not for the right reasons.The problems started when, after 35 minutes, Whitney took a ‘costume change break’. Fifteen minutes later, there was a cry of “Where’s Whitney?” and several boos.

Throughout the show, her breathing was an issue. Two numbers in and Whitney was panting more than John Prescott running for the bus. She blamed it on a cold and the air conditioning.

Afterwards some fans told me they had got value for money – but not since I saw Bob Dylan in the late 90s have I been at a gig with so many angry punters.

Those going to see Whitney in Nottingham will hope things are alright. If they are even ok, it will be an improvement on last night.

One audience member told the BBC: “She was good when she was good, but when she was not on form, she was awful.”

Another concert-goer said: “There was a lot of talking and not enough singing. When you used to go to see Whitney Houston you expected a big show.”

“I really enjoyed it no matter what anyone else says,” a third fan added.“Taking into account that she had a sore throat, she gave 100%. I thought she was brilliant and I’d pay again to see her.”

BBC 5 live played a clip of Houston singing her signature hit I Will Always Love You at the concert, which showed that the star failed to capture its soaring top notes.

newspaper concluded that “it was not the performance that fans had been hoping for”.

It added that her voice was now deeper and huskier and that she “ended up rambling” between songs, while her lengthy costume change prompted boos from the audience.

Writing in, Elisa Bray said Houston still demonstrated impressive vocal abilities, but added she was “tired” by the time she got to I Will Always Love You.

“It was definitely a spectacle – and for the most part in a good way,” she concluded.

A forthnight ago, she has been forced to postpone the first date of her European tour due to illness.

Her representative had said in a statement that Houston had an upper respiratory infection and doctors had ordered her to postpone Tuesday’s opener in Paris.

There were suggestions that the singer was unable to hit the high notes at a show in Brisbane in February, although some fans defended her.

Houston released her first album, I Look At You, for seven years in 2009, featuring collaborations with Alicia Keys and R Kelly.

The singer, whose hits in the 1980s and 1990s included I Will Always Love You and I Wanna Dance With Somebody, battled drug problems for many years.

She has had several stints in rehabilitation clinics but says she is now drug-free.

The Grammy award-winner divorced singer Bobby Brown in 2007, after 14 years of marriage.

Houston has custody of the couple’s teenage daughter.