When Beverley Knight's debut album was released in 1995, Britpop still ruled the charts, the internet was the preserve of computer nerds and John Major was resident in number 10. Countless trends have since come and gone, entire pop careers have risen and fallen, and the music industry has changed beyond recognition, but Knight has soldiered on. Six albums, countless awards and an MBE later, her solid take on British soul has remained fundamentally the same. It would be easy to call it comfort food, but it is classier fare than that would imply.

Knight gives every impression of being a smart, level-headed and modest woman; a reason, perhaps, why she rarely surprises, but qualities that make her an enormously likable presence. Chatty and appreciative of her audience, she has been rewarded with fans who whoop and cheer her every utterance.

Her polished show illustrates why. Knight comes into her own live in a way that she hasn't always on record, with the spotlight firmly on her stunning soul voice. Recent years have seen several stage-school pretenders emerge under the "soul" banner, from Adele to Duffy, but Knight's emotional range puts them to shame. An acoustic section is tonight's highlight – as competent as Knight's band are, the arrangements do seem stuck in a midtempo groove at times; a stripped-down and captivating Bare, however, allows her voice to fully shine.

But it's the song with which she concludes the main body of the show that resonates most. Soul Survivor – a duet with Chaka Khan, no less, on her album – is a rousing look back at Knight's career. "Ain't too many things that stay the same/ Seasons come and go, but I remain," she croons, before finishing with her fist raised in the air.