Well the answer has to be - not quite. The opening of the live Kelis experience shows more than the suggestion of a flirtation with rock and roll. Big guitars, slinky backing singers and that's just the beginning.

The lady herself looks like a true star. Donned in slinky white stage outfit and trademark green shades, she's every inch the street soul icon and, so far, living up to expectations.

'Ghetto Children' slouches along with it's "hey now, hey now" chorus, summoning the spirit of 80's soul. Unfortunately Kelis' voice doesn't quite cut it in the soul stakes, without the sweetness or the honey of the likes of Whitney Houston.

As the show goes on things pick up and at times, things get damn funky. The penny finally drops when, at the end, the band launch into a fairly faithful version of Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'. If Kelis had of been around in Seattle a few years ago she would have run things.