SHE'S the star who has had a hatful of hits and has fans across the globe thanks to deep lyrics and her own personal dilemmas. DAVID HIGGERSON spoke to Gabrielle as she prepared for her only gig in Lancashire at Preston's Guild Hall tonight as part of a national tour

GABRIELLE'S pre-concert routine is slightly different to that of other stars who have hogged the limelight for the thick end of a decade.

There are no wild drinking sessions on arrival at new towns, and at the same time, no anxious pacing and sweating in cramped dressing rooms.

Gabrielle prefers to wonder around venues she will performing at, looking at the stage from every angle.

And if she doesn't like what she sees -- she refuses to play until it is corrected.

But this isn't another anecdote from a book of primadona-ish stroppy stars.

See, Gabrielle likes to view the arena as though she were the fan.

"There is nothing worse than going to a concert and being stuck behind a speaker or so close to the stage that you can't see over it," muses the celebrated star.

"When I arrive at a venue, I look around and see if everything is ok. I want people to enjoy my concerts, and they need to see all of the stage, not just part of it.

"And I want to see them too."

This sentiment goes some way to explain why Gabrielle still plays smallish venues. Less than a year after performing at Blackburn's King George's Hall, Gabrielle is tonight back in the Red Rose County, this time at Preston's Guild Hall.

And while few doubt she could fill Manchester's MEN Arena, Newcastle's Nynex and Birmingham's NEC, Gabrielle insists she prefers the smaller gig.

"Like I said, I want to see the fans and see their faces and their reactions to my songs. That just doesn't happen in bigger venues.

"I love the smaller venues, they are much better."

Few would have predicted the success Gabrielle would go on to achieve when she released her debut single, Dreams, in 1993.

Her first two albums have produced six pop Top 10s. She's bagged two BRITS, a couple of MOBOs and an American Music Award.

She has also achieved the rare feat of obtaining mainstream popularity while not losing the underground supporters who insisted she release a track in the first place.

But perhaps she will be best remembered for the relationship she has built up with the fans -- they can simply relate to her music.

She said: "There is no point singing about things that mean nothing to people.

"I believe everyone goes through the same things at various stages of their lives and I try and reflect that in my music."

She also hopes her songs provide people with hope for the future -- her much-publicised problems with her now ex-partner and his criminal convictions prompted her to write more music which people responded too.

She said: "It is just the way I am. I write about what I am feeling and what I hope for. A lot of people can relate to that and I love to see the expression on their faces when I am singing at a concert."

But is her current upbeat sound, reflected on the previously unreleased tracks on her current greatest hits album, which has 16 tracks on it, shows the frame of mind she is in at the moment.

It sits in contrast to one of her said hits, Rise, which was all about her fight back to normality after some tragic (and public) events.

The fact her music is the most memorable piece on the Bridget Jones soundtrack also goes a long way to demonstrate how her music can fit into real life -- which is, of course, what the Bridget Jones film was all about.

But the one things about touring which is memorable for her are ... the fans.

She said: "That is what this is all about. Without the fans, I wouldn't have got anywhere which is why I think it is important to make sure they enjoy themselves when they come and see me.

"It has been like a dream for me.

"I used to watch all these stars going up to accept their BRIT Awards and I never dreamed I would win two of them myself.

"I was supposed to be a one-hit wonder. I have been very lucky, working with some excellent people.

"I loved doing things with other people, and working with East 17 was a great experience. Brian Harvey is an excellent performer.

"But I love doing my own stuff. I can be myself.

"But sometimes I feel like I'm on the biggest blag ever and that one day people will realise and it will all be over."

The strange thing is, she is only half-joking when she says it -- despite the fact that tonight, like most nights for the next few months, thousands will be travelling to venues to sample her life-defining songs ... with a perfect view of course!