Kelis's milkshake brought all the boys to the yard – in rather spectacular style at Manchester Pride.

For thousands crammed in to see the New York diva’s headlining show on Sunday night at one of the busiest nights in the history of the annual Pride festival.

Heck, punters not able to squash into the main stage perimeter even packed into the multi-storey car park on Sackville Street to catch a better glimpse of the style queen singer.

Thankfully, Kelis ensured it was worth all of our efforts.

From the opening strains of Scream, and strutting onto stage in a fierce leather jacket, she knew she had us all in the palm of her hand.

Off came the coat to reveal one of Kelis’s brilliantly wacky stage fashions – one part Cleopatra with her dark fringed wig, and one part Star Wars’ Princess Leia with her gold tribal print catsuit completed by her almost light-sabre-esque microphone stand.

The throbbing disco beats of her new dance-inspired album Flesh Tone were the perfect fit for a crowd most definitely in the mood for a party on the bank holiday weekend.

"Scream if you’re proud", she boomed, showing she certainly knew her audience here, before launching into a mini cover of Madonna’s Holiday which efortlessly morphed into her huge hit Milkshake.

Her sparkles lit up the stage, as did her rather fabulous whirling dervish dance moves, for an uplifting rendition of recent hit 4th of July, before she purrs: "let’s take it back", for a run through of 2004 hit Trick Me.

Her finale comes in the form of the pulsating Acapella, bringing the crowd together as a final throbbing mass.

Fans won’t have to wait long for Kelis’s return to the city – as she heads back here in October to appear at the Warehouse Project. And on this showing, it’s set to be one of the hottest tickets in town.

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