FANS showed nothing but love and affection for legendary singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading as she performed at the Pavilion this week.

Opening the show with City Girl from her first album, Whatever's for Us, she had the crowd gripped.

The loved singer-songwriter is currently mid way through her last major world tour and unbelievably her first solo world tour.

Her performance showed that there is no doubt that she is much more than those first great songs that brought her to the world's attention; Love and Affection, Me Myself I, Drop The Pilot and Willow.

For almost two hours Armatrading held the stage, trawling through her career's songbook that spans over more than 40 years.

Her guitar solos, alongside her talent on the piano, kept fans on their feet in expectation on what she would do next.

The current tour kicked off in South Africa in April this year with her performance at the Pavilion being her 169th of the tour.

With nearly every show to date a complete sellout, it sees her on the road until the end of 2015.

It also encompasses the UK, Australia, North America, Germany, Denmark, France, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, Sweden, New Zealand and more concerts in South Africa.

Favourite hits of the night included All the way from America, Rosie, Love and Affection, In These Times and Me Myself and I.

The three-time Grammy Award-nominee also shared some of the highlights of the last four decades and gave fans a glimpse into how she came into fame.

She was nominated twice for BRIT Awards as Best Female Artist and received an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contemporary Song Collection in 1996.

She talked of a personal milestone of meeting Nelson Mandela.

She received a standing ovation as she closed the show with Willow.

Ms Armatrading said: "I will never retire but this will be the last major tour that I will undertake.

"For the first time these concerts will be me solo on stage playing the guitar and piano and singing.

"I want these concerts to be a special lively interactive one to one experience.

"I have absolutely enjoyed the last 42 years of performances but now, with my final major tour, I want to capture a unique memory for both myself and the audience."

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