Three years later, with a new album ‘Dancing at the Edge of the World’, she’s on the road again. What difference will the passage of time make?
Brooke shot to fame with a viral video of her version of Baccara’s 1977 hit ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’, going on to win Best Female Breakthrough at the 2021 Scottish Music Awards, announcing the win with the Tweet “We’re just getting started babyyy”. All of that was a glimpse of an energised, confident, almost arrogant artist whose on stage demeanour in 2022 mixed glamour, swagger and composure with something of a distance between performer and audience.
Fast forward to 2025 and a different Brooke graced the stage at Sheffield’s Leadmill. An easy, relaxed, stylish Brooke entered the stage with huge smiles, laughter and a notably more laid back presentation; 60s Hollywood style shades perched jauntily on top of her head rather than forming a barrier as before. The raw hit of Joan Armatrading has been cut with a more joyful blend of Gladys Knight, Donna Summer, Randy Crawford and Diana Ross. Take your pick, really, of soul icons. Brooke has expanded her horizons for this new set of material.
The stage was adorned with rugs, pot plants and flowers - a home from home. The bigger band filled in the sonic gaps and smoothed out the performance. The rapport with the audience was there from the start, so much so that Brooke stopped at one point so that a fan could continue recording the show with her phone. This is a Brooke more at ease with her place in the world, her relationship with fans and, most importantly, her music.
Back in 2021, Brooke signed a deal with Island Records, surely a dream come true for an artist with such a rapid ascent. From that contract we got a ‘Black is the New Gold’ - something. Described as a mixtape, it wasn’t an EP or an album but it was enough to to keep fans hooked. Later on, she dropped out of the contract, apparently disillusioned with the pressures of a major label. Not wanting to feel constrained is one of the themes that comes across in her music, both lyrically and stylistically. Picking up the creation of her debut album with James Skelly of The Coral, she got back on track quickly. The live set featured a selection of new tracks alongside more seasoned releases and one cover version - the 1972 hit by Seals and Crofts, 'Summer Breeze'. An interesting choice which enabled Brooke to show a far softer version of herself.
The audience was formed of the same widely mixed demographic as was noted in that 2022 review - an age range from teens to grandparents. A couple at the middle to mature end of the range, waiting eagerly at the front of the room, agreed that Brooke’s mix of Motown, soul, disco and modern RnB gives her a broad appeal that crosses generational divides.
Opening for Brooke was Ruby J, mixing soul, jazz and blues in a smart, modern style which was the perfect complement to the balance of the evening.
From the new album, Brooke chose a selection to get the party started with the first four songs mirroring the first four tracks of the album - ‘Prelude’, ‘This Town’, ‘Guilt’ and ‘Shaken by the Wind’. ‘L.M.T.F.A’ offered a glimpse into Brooke’s personal life and saw a return to that hard edge that formed part of the 2022 stage persona but this time drawing cheers of empathy from the audience. In fact, the only album track missing from the live set was 'If I Could Only Be Yours', giving the audience a compelling reason to get the new album.
The two most familiar songs of the evening, 'Are You With Me?' and 'Miss Me Now' were exactly what the audience had been waiting for. Dancefloor filling, toe tapping fusions of Motown, soul, disco and Scottish rock, these are the songs that Brooke has built her career on and no doubt fans will be calling for them for years to come.
Brooke Combe might be ‘Dancing at the Edge of the World’ for now but it won’t be long before she’s moved beyond the map. It seems that, at the rate her personal and musical evolution are going, she’ll be discovering a new world any time soon. Be warned.
Peter Freeth
Images: Peter Freeth
