Incognito - The Wardrobe, Leeds

Yorkshire fans of Incognito have had to travel to Manchester, Newcastle or London to see the band live but on a cold February night Incognito finally brought some warm vibes to Leeds.

"Thank you for your patience" offers Jean-Paul 'Bluey' Maunick as he steps on stage at The Warehouse. The sold out crowd have been waiting for this for a long time and the band were on form as usual. The line up of Incognito is fluid but what is consistent though is the excellent musicianship that you can always guarantee.

There were though a few firsts tonight, usually the vocalists consist of at least one male singer but Leeds were treated to the ladies: Vanessa Hayes, Imaani and Katie Leone. Also making a hasty appearance in the band was drummer Dexter Hurcules who was drafted in at the last moment. He took to the job like a duck to water. The vocalists made it look so easy with each of them performing different tracks.

The set consisted of old and new material: the band are working on a new album that is coming out later this year as they continue to look ahead. Dedicating I See The Sun to anyone who has been through mental or physical illness, Bluey informed the fans that "music always helps to pull you through difficult times". The title track of their last album, Amplified Soul showed the group are still bubbling with creative juices and that there is more to come.

The George Duke cover of Brazilian Love Affair could easily be an Incognito track but after a storming drum and percussion solo it was left to their big hits such as Step Into My Life, Everyday and Always There to conclude a gig many had looked forward to for months.

Nights Over Egypt rounded off the night all too soon but after nearly two hours on stage it had been a perfect way to banish any mid winter blues. The band never disappoint and tonight was no exception. Brilliant as usual.