A few of us were supporting Julie's Will Young road trip on Sunday. A gang of us were split between a box on the Grand Tier level and some prime seats front centre but not in the piece where everyone stands up throughout the performance.
Our seats gave a good view of the very mixed audience (unlike the rather standardised adjacent Slipknot audience). The crowd for this concert were already in a frenzy when Honey Ryder came on and simply mentioned Will's name. By the time the main stage was set there was rampant enthusiasm from the devoted fans.
A wash of dry smoke through the auditorium to ensure the lights would create good effects and then the band and finally Will took to the stage. Instant adulation and the front rows pushing towards the stage with all manner of cameras, cellphones and the odd packet of parrot food.
Will sang from his recent album - Let it Go - mixed with a good collection of well known tracks from his earlier works. The band played well with typically a couple of songs and then Will engaging in banter with the audience.
Will was a strong entertainer moving the mood up and down, sometimes leaping around the stage, encouraging the 'palm of hand' audience to stand and clap for some numbers and to sit quietly for others.
Highly likeable as a person, entertaining to listen as he rambled into various stories and remarks. Some discussion of who was out of the TV talent shows, stories about his recent appearance in Top Gear and a revelation of his tattoo.
As a performance, Will soared through the notes, could rearrange the songs with a wave of his arm to the tightly grooving band and showed that if the album treatments were not raw or funky enough, he could raise the temperature with ease.
The last album is referred to as a 'break-up' album by some that know the back story. Its certainly very listenable and has some great tracks. That the title track 'Let it Go' was a B -side is more a reflection of a mad record industry that nowadays doesn't seem to know what to do with good pop music. There also seems to be some kind of Radio 1 blockade preventing him being played according to Jeremy Clarkson.
This concert was an hour and a half of pleasing music, well connected with the audience and all performed faultlessly. Great entertainment, topped with a rocking version of Grace (Will and Grace?) and then after a short break the encore of a santa-hatted version of 'Strange' and finally 'Leave Right Now'.
Go see the upcoming arena tour.
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