Gig review: Jessie J - Usher Hall, Edinburgh

THE trade-off between professionalism and imperfection in this performance from British Lady Gaga-lite Jessie J was both endearing and frustrating. A shamefaced lyric-forgetting incident early in the show was brushed off on the grounds that she’d “had a night off for the Q awards” the night before, and won the best video prize.

Cue indulgent cheers from her army of young female fans. Later, an acoustic medley of her own Technology and L.O.V.E, interspersed with James Morrison’s Up, was sabotaged by her annoyance at a guitar being out of tune and apparent problems with her monitors, although in truth her voice just doesn’t appear to be textured enough for a bit of delicate balladry.

Goings-on like these would sink many shows, but Jessie (London girl Jessica Cornish) showed such endearing pluck under fire it was hard not to warm to her, if not perhaps to all of her music. The garish bodysuit-come-suspender belt she wore with a stylish Louise Brooks bob wasn’t the most flattering, and nor were her band’s See-You-Jimmy hats, the red velvet-carpeted steps she sat on to croon Casualty of Love or her insistence on trying to recreate the Scottish accent she’s supposedly “addicted to.”

Yet all of the above simply raised a laugh rather than causing offence, and there were some shining pop nuggets in there: an enthusiastic cover of Luther Vandross’s Never Too Much, the urban sobriety of I Need This and the tartan-draped Do It Like a Dude all standing out. Giving a teenage girl plucked from the crowd equal stage time during a duet on her signature track Price Tag was also a nice touch, the mark of an entertainer having fun, if not quite a classic pop star in the making.

Rating: ***