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Alex on song: and paying tribute to her family
Picture: India Whiley-Morton |
Alex’s dream comes true
Brothers’ pride as X Factor winner wows the crowd at special charity gig in Union Chapel
X FACTOR star Alexandra Burke’s brothers were bursting with pride on Tuesday as they described their sister’s first full gig back home as “a dream come true”.
Alexandra, who hails from just off Caledonian Road, headlined Mencap’s Little Noise Sessions at the Union Chapel in Upper Street, watched by her whole family.
Her brothers dressed up in slick black suits for the show and could hardly stay in their seats as she belted through tracks from her new album and a bunch of covers.
Her mother Melissa Bell, who suffers from kidney failure, sat up front cheering while her father David Burke sat further back, wearing a trilby and clapping along.
Brother David said: “I’m really proud of her. It feels like a homecoming after her album’s been released. This crowd is quite intimate.”
Younger brother Aaron said: “She feels very good about it but she’s nervous. She’s come back and shown she’s a superstar. She’s shown that dreams can come true. I’m proud my sister’s done what she had to do and specially for charity. Everyone who’s come today has come to see Alex. It’s full of Islington residents.”
He added: “She’s an Islington girl, come from Islington Green school, she never went to Anna Scher, it’s possible for anyone.”
Describing her new sleek hair-do as “wicked”, he said: “I love the new style. It’s an honour seeing her smash the stage up, she’s just quality. It’s a really great feeling.”
Alex’s mum said she loved her daughter’s new diva hairstyle but confessed she was keeping an eye on the superstar’s super-short hemline. She said: “It was absolutely brilliant, great, fantastic. I was shocked she had so much energy. I’ve always known she can do good dance moves but they’ve become raunchy.
“Her dress has become shorter, I was trying to make sure nothing was showing.”
Alex brought hunky backing dancers into the chapel – a rare sight – as she dazzled with slick dance moves.
The set included a healthy dose of covers, Michael Jackson’s I’ll Be There, an acoustic version of Hallelujah, and a duet of Oleta Adams’s Get Here with old friend Sean Antony.
Chatty in between songs, Alex was half nervous, half revelling in being in front of her family.
Speaking ultra fast, pulling down her short dress, she told the audience: “You just made this little dream come true for me to be performing in my home town. I just want you guys to really enjoy it because I’m just so nervous. I want to say a big thank you to my family, who are here, my dad’s at the back and my friends who are here this evening. Give it up for my mum because that’s why I’m here.”
She picked out “my Islington people”, telling them to “make some more noise,” which they soon did.
Alexandra was supported by VV Brown and Alphabeat.
Mencap Little Noise Sessions continue every night until next Tuesday, with Florence and the Machine, Lostprophets, David Gray, and Newton Falkner still to come. |
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