It was way back in the early 90’s when Sheryl Crow first exploded onto the music scene.

In a time where MTV showed music videos and with the alternative scene ruling the airwaves Sheryl Crow dropped her debut album ‘Tuesday Night Music Club’ and smash hit single ‘All I Wanna Do’ and opened the door for female singer/songwriters to take their rightful place among the other heavyweights.

Opening the door for the likes Alanis Morrisette, Joan Osbourne, Meredith Brookes, she pioneered a great time in music, although fast forward twenty years and the whole world of music is a very different place.

As the world has progressed it seems the music world has regressed.

MTV has replaced music on it’s channels for reality shows about pregnant teenagers and drunken Geordies and where the top 10 chart would be dominated by bands who played instruments and wrote their own songs, it is now full of cookie cutter plastic pop-acts.

So it made me let out a sigh of relief though to find out that Sheryl Crow can still sell out large venues in this day and age, as she did at The Ritz in Manchester.

This is a lady who has lived a rollercoaster of a life.

Hit by personal troubles and illness, she has carried on releasing album after album and collecting award after award and tonight she took us through a career retrospective.

The fact that she throws in that debut hit ‘All I Wanna Do’ very early in the set shows what a strong career and how many amazing songs she has released over the years.

Crow was in fine voice and showed what a twenty year career teaches you as she worked the crowd like a true master.

They sung , they cheered, they listened intently as she talks - it was a true masterclass in professionalism.

This isn’t just a greatest hits set though.

Not one to just rest on her laurels, Crow also has a new album, her ninth studio release and at the gig she showcased many of the country-tinged songs from it, which were greeted by her fans like old friends.

Playing for close to two hours and throwing in covers along the way, whilst thankfully leaving out that ‘Sweet Child Of Mine’ cover she released a few years ago, it was clear from looking around at the faces transfixed on Crow and her band, they would be more than happy to hear her play for another two.

But alas it all came to an end with a great version of Led Zeppelins ‘Rock And Roll’.

Even after 20 years Sheryl Crow still has it, she never sold out her fans and thankfully not one song about her ‘Booty’.