If this were a one word review of Pink's performance at the O2 it would simply be - Wow!
I went into the concert liking some of her songs but came out absolutely in love with the singer and performer.
When a singer launches onto stage with the aid of a bungee rope and is caught by three topless men you know you are on to winner.
From start to finish it was just a very energetic concert. Pink was more acrobatic than pop star puppet.
The moves she performed during the song Sober, were just phenomenal. She was suspended in a egg shaped cage which at one point saw the male dances holding on to it as it spun with Pink holding so gracefully on to their arms on the outside.
I read some reviews that during the more energetic moments she was miming, but even so when she sung during the acoustic part her voice was melodic and breathtaking even though she had to cancel the first night of the tour in Birmingham due to a respiratory infection, her voice was pitch perfect.
During Try she not only recreated the dance from the video but performed mid-air in a tangle of rope like something from Cirque du Soleil, with the most impressive abs. Yet she is one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen.
It is quite amazing to think that Pink has been going for 13 years most of my teenage years and yet I never really came under the spell of the rebel, feminist singer.
She is a little bit of a dork doing the worst dance moves she could think of and encouraging the audience to do the same.
Pink seems like a genuinely nice person who bent down and signed autographs for the crowd at the front and interacted with people shouting and throwing presents.
The crowd seemed to be mainly old fan going crazy for You Make Me Sick and Just Like a Pill and less so for the newer songs on the album.
It is also the only gig I have ever been to that had end credits, with a behind the scenes video of Pink preparing for the tour as well as her beautiful daughter Willow.
I am just so glad that I saw Pink live in concert it was unlike anything I had ever seen before and I have been to quite a few concerts. I enjoyed every minute of it and think even if you aren't the biggest Pink fan you will be after seeing her I certainly did.
A Telegraph review said: "That these were performed with the same genuine enthusiasm as the hits from her last album (her seventh but first to make number one in America), is a testament to Pink’s talent, and explains why she continues to sell records. Ten-year-old songs don’t sound dated because she has maintained the same energy and sass that she created them with." and I couldn't agree more.
Set List
* Raise your glass
* Walk of Shame
* Just Like a Pill
* U and Ur Hand
* Leave Me Alon (I'm Lonely)
* Try
* Wicked Game (Chris Isaak cover)
* Just Give Me a Reason
* Trouble
* Are We All We Are
* How Come You're Not Here
* Sober
* Chaos & Piss (Guitar instrumental)
* The Great Escape (Acoustic)
* Who Knew (Acoustic)
* Fire and Rain (James Taylor cover)
* F**kin' Perfect
* Most Girls / There You Go / You Make Me Sick
* Slut Like You
* Blow Me (One Last Kiss)
Encore - So What
Last week was the last of the current series of The Big Reunion and it ended with the concert I went to at the end of February.
It didn't show the whole concert but it was still good to relive it all, so much so that I have now pre-ordered the concert DVD and will be going to the Christmas party gig at the O2 in December.
Watching the concert I was a little relieved (and disappointed) that I didn't make the cut. My friend's friends were in one shot though. Well I knew I was there.
I thought I would use a post to talk about the Big Reunion. I have seen many of these shows - Take That and Spice Girls, where they re-interview old bands who reflect on the good ol' days. Only to reveal that they were not that great and they were plagued by self-doubt, drugs and lots of sex with older fans. The Take That one broke my six-year-old fan heart that the guys were less than perfect.
I was relieved that watching the Spice Girls one that they were friends with each other, well we all knew Mel B and Geri were at each others throats, but I suppose the most telling thing is that Victoria is never really with other girls anymore. I suppose if I had a multi-million pound global fashion house I wouldn't want to be associated with the 'Posh' Spice label still.
Also the Steps one which was upsetting as they really didn't like each other, so when I saw them on tour all I kept thinking was 'they hate each other really'.
So I was little apprehensive when I saw this show was going to be on. It featured all the bands that I loved when I was a child in the nineties, I saw some as well at radio roadshows. For a re-cap the show featured Honeyz, B*Witched, 5ive, 911, Liberty X, Atomic Kitten and later one Blue, who didn't really split up recently but ah well.
It was a really interesting show revealing what it was like to be in a band during those years. Record labels pushing them to the edge of their sanity if they knew they were on to a good thing. All the bands left on quite good terms, Atomic Kitten always seemed to be fighting, very fiery. 5ive as well were quite interesting proper bad boys.
I loved 5ive and fell more in love with them after the show. They are and were fantastic.
But at the end of the day it was interesting and good to see the bands gelling quite well after all these years.
It does make you wonder after the success of this show who will be in the next series - Cleopatra? Busted? Hear'say? S Club 7? Who knows?
Better late than never, but here is my half review half gush-fest of Lady Gaga's Born This Way Ball.
I have seen Gaga twice already, as support for the Pussycat Dolls just after Just Dance came out and a year or so a go as part of the Monsters Ball.
I love her and know she can put on a show, the Monsters Ball was just £29 for the ticket and Gaga must have run at a loss, this time however, she learnt her lesson and the ticket price almost doubled.
It was well worth it though. Her set was a castle and of course there was a story line which I didn't quite get but it added something else.
The concert from start to finish was phenomenal. Her voice is amazing and when she sung Imagine it was breathtaking, her voice is heavenly and soulful, just her and a piano.
Even though Gaga is a little over the top to some she does love her fans and is very humble thanking them for buying a ticket. To thank them she got some on stage and invited others back tage, now to some you may think it is just all talk but not Gaga I think she is true to her word.
Of course she came on late which meant she finished late and I'm not sure if she didn't include it at all in this tour but she didn't perform Poker Face or Alejandro which was a shame but then you forget how many good songs she does have.
She also spoke about the first time she played record execs Born This Way, they told her it was too 'niche', and with a smirk on her face she said to the audience 'Some f**king niche, I have filled an stadium with a niche'.
She also said 'So many of you here how come the album was a flop?' But my friend was there and didn't have the second album, she had just bought the singles and I do wonder how many other people did the same.
I cannot say how much I love Gaga her brashness and unapologetic nature she is who she is so deal with it. She was 'born this way'.
Every time I see her she gets better and better, it does freak me out though that we are the same age.
Another thing you should mention if you go to a Gaga gig is the audience. Some of Gaga's monsters got all out, there were meat dresses, costumes from the Telephone video and various cover shoots. Most of them were obviously fashion students as I don't think I would be able to make those things but they were fantastic and the girls (and some boys) deserve a round of applause.
It was just a great atmosphere and I haven't sung, laughed and danced so much at a gig in age. Gaga is indeed Queen Monster and just fantastic! All Hail Gaga!
Act I
Highway Unicorn (Road to Love)
Government Hooker
Born This Way
Black Jesus - Amen Fashion
Bloody Mary
Bad Romance
Judas
Act II
Fashion Of His Love
Just Dance
LoveGame
Telephone
Act III
Heavy Metal Lover
Bad Kids
Piano Ballads
Hair
Princess Die
Imagine
You & I
Act IV
Electric Chapel
Paparazzi
Scheibe
Act V
The Edge of Glory
Marry the Night
