Performing in front of a stunning golden sunset, the legendary Chic & Nile Rodgers brought decades of pop hits to a packed crowd at Newmarket Racecourse on Friday.

Ely Standard: Chic & Nile Rodgers bring career-spanning tour to Newmarket Racecourse. PHOTO: Angela Smith.Chic & Nile Rodgers bring career-spanning tour to Newmarket Racecourse. PHOTO: Angela Smith. (Image: Archant)

Before the show even starts, the iconic producer and songwriter is taking selfies with the crowd. Looking like he’s loving every minute, “are y’all ready to dance, party and have a good time?” he shouts to elated cheers.

As Nile makes use of the stage - funky bass in hand - the two vocalists (Kimberly Davis, in a sparkling silver dress, is especially phenomenal with her unbelievable vocal range) - get the good vibes going with an energetic hand-clapping one-two of ‘Everybody Dance’ and ‘Dance Dance Dance’.

Performing for a well-dressed but slightly tipsy audience who have just enjoyed a day at the races, the crowd is pretty loose and willing to move their hips. It makes for a real festival-like party.

Ely Standard: Chic & Nile Rodgers bring career-spanning tour to Newmarket Racecourse. PHOTO: Angela Smith.Chic & Nile Rodgers bring career-spanning tour to Newmarket Racecourse. PHOTO: Angela Smith. (Image: Archant)

For the next hour or so it’s a non-stop ride of some of the biggest feel-good pop songs of the last four decades; taking in Madonna’s ‘Like A Virgin’ - for which a suited twenty-something guy climbs his mate’s shoulders to show off his moves - into the funk-laden riffs of Sister Sedge’s ‘Lost In Music’.

Watching three generations dance together to ‘We Are Family’ demonstrates the power music can have - as a granddad, mother and daughter let go of all their cares.

Getting the crowd to go old school and light up the sky after a brief story about his cancer diagnosis and being told to go home and contemplate the rest of his life - “I decided that I was going to write more songs, do more collaborations and play more live shows than I’d ever done in my entire life” was Nile’s defiant response - leads into a poignant rendition of ‘Get Lucky’.

Ely Standard: Chic & Nile Rodgers bring career-spanning tour to Newmarket Racecourse. PHOTO: Angela Smith.Chic & Nile Rodgers bring career-spanning tour to Newmarket Racecourse. PHOTO: Angela Smith. (Image: Archant)

The chart hit takes on an entirely new meaning as Nile gushes that he feels like the luckiest man alive and proclaims “I am cancer-free!”

“We’ve been on tour for 80 years and Nile Rogers is 137 years old but the music keeps him looking real cool” jokes Chic’s drummer - and no-one could argue with him.

And with their first album in 26 years scheduled for release next month, they’re showing no signs of slowing down.

Ely Standard: Chic & Nile Rodgers bring career-spanning tour to Newmarket Racecourse. PHOTO: Angela Smith.Chic & Nile Rodgers bring career-spanning tour to Newmarket Racecourse. PHOTO: Angela Smith. (Image: Archant)

By the end the clubby hedonism of New York’s iconic Studio 54 is recreated with at least 30 people onstage with Chic and Nile for ‘Good Times’…

A positive ray of light in a too-often dark real world - bringing together all ages, races, genders and sexualities - there are few musicians or groups as unifying and joy-inducing as Chic & the living legend that is Nile Rodgers.

Newmarket Nights continues this Friday with George Ezra. For tickets click here.

Ely Standard: Chic & Nile Rodgers bring career-spanning tour to Newmarket Racecourse. PHOTO: Angela Smith.Chic & Nile Rodgers bring career-spanning tour to Newmarket Racecourse. PHOTO: Angela Smith. (Image: Archant)

Ely Standard: Chic & Nile Rodgers bring career-spanning tour to Newmarket Racecourse. PHOTO: Angela Smith.Chic & Nile Rodgers bring career-spanning tour to Newmarket Racecourse. PHOTO: Angela Smith. (Image: Archant)