Grand Canal Theatre

There is a certain type of fan that is attracted to an

X Factor

winner: a screaming fan, eyes glistening, hands in the air, lyrics on the tip of the tongue. Alexandra Burke, winner of the fifth season of the television talent show, is no exception to the rule – her fans are out en masse for her first solo Irish tour, a tour she will remind us several times throughout the evening that’s called the All Night Long tour.

“Are you ready to go all night long?” she asks at regular intervals, but it’s a promise she won’t be held to, as one album coupled with a Destiny’s Child medley does not an all-night concert make.

The cracks in Burke’s armour quickly become apparent – with just four dancers and two backing singers tucked away to the left of the stage, she cuts a lonely figure on a large and somewhat empty stage. Her vocals, impressive as they may be, are not quite enough to carry an entire concert – and any Beyoncé comparisons (five costume changes reveal leotard after leotard and one befeathered gown) fall flat without the heft of Knowles’ production behind her.

There are some gems to be found –

Bad Boys

and

All Night Long

are particular crowd- pleasers – and, despite the fact that she’s playing to a crowd for whom Leonard Cohen is one for the “Google later” list,

Hallelujah

provides an excellent showcase for Burke’s diva warblings. But, ultimately, Burke is a brilliant vocalist with some mediocre songs and a recession-friendly production that leaves her scrambling to take control of the space.

Does it matter? Not a bit of it – this crowd, by the end of a very short set, is still screaming, eyes are still glistening, hands are still in the air. The only thing missing is the lyrics, but that’s nothing another album or two won’t fix. The worry for Burke will be that the shine will go off the

X Factor

crown before she gets the funding for a larger operation, without which, any of her concerts will inevitably fall flat.