Justin Bieber: Purpose World Tour! / SECRET SHOW STORIES 🎤
I had so much fun at Justin Bieber's concert at The O2, London on Wednesday 12th. It was amazing. It was incredible. It was everything that I dreamed...
Supported by The Knocks, I didn't think they were very good at all. The first support act was on very briefly but was so much better. The Knocks just had no stage presence and their songs weren't very catchy. Being an electronic duo it wasn't my sort of music either. Click here for the video or watch below.
I wasn't a massive fan of Justin Bieber's music before his last album 'Purpose' was released. For those who have been living under a rock, it's amazing! I didn't hate his music before but it wasn't incredible. 'Baby' was catchy but this last album was filled with hit after hit. Either way, I was defintely glad when he played 'Baby' and literally screamed!
I've actually seen him twice now as I went to Capital's Jingle Bell Ball 2015 and he played there. Click here for the video. Last Christmas was when the album was blowing up and I was thoroughly addicted to the whole album and kept playing it on repeat constantly. Given the fact it has been quite a while since the release, I haven't listened to the album as much so I didn't quite have all the hype I had last year but I was really excited to see what he did with the set up. I was even more intrigued when I saw the timetable for the night because he was going to be on stage for nearly 2 hours with a short interval break in the middle.
This show was defintely focussed on the dancing more than the singing which honestly I didn't mind. You would have thought people come to concerts to hear the singing but personally, I come for everything else. You can listen to the songs on the CD and that's going to be the best of their vocals on that track. I come for the talking, stage banter, dancing, stage work and the atmosphere.
Admittedly, the biggest let down of the concert was the talking aspect, or rather lack of it. In the first half he barely spoke to the audience, or even notice us, apart from the say hello London. The second half consisted of a little more talking but it defintely felt rehearsed and forced. I like that he had a little big of audience interaction and asked what people would like to hear, told some funny stories and even asked for topics to discuss. Of course, it was the very cliche ones mainly of love and heartbreak. I think the most cringe worthy part was defintely the religion joke that, quite simply, washed over mine and most of the audiences heads.
"When Jesus comes back, you’re the first to go” to the audience members sat on the very top level. It probably wasn't meant to sound as threatening but it was a bit of a shock when he said it. There was kind of a soft awkward laugh echoing and then silence. He quickly filled in by asking some questions but it made me cringe! Also, he was a little strict with his 'be quiet' comments. He defintely didn't want anyone talking over him. I don't really judge celebrities over what I see in papers and in articles because I don't feel like I know them, but if I was a massive fan of his personality I might have been a little shocked.
Having said that, he did speak a few words of wisdom. I think the most important message was not to conform to Internet. I think there is defintely a social media facade that a lot of people promote but at the end of the day, that isn't real. What's real is what people see everyday and how that aspect is brought into light in interactions. Always remember to be an individual. Be yourself.
Thank you to Justin, his team and the team at The O2 plus Sky Backstage for making my night! Despite the 'you look 14 years old' comment, I had an absolute blast! :)
Supported by The Knocks, I didn't think they were very good at all. The first support act was on very briefly but was so much better. The Knocks just had no stage presence and their songs weren't very catchy. Being an electronic duo it wasn't my sort of music either. Click here for the video or watch below.
Justin, however, defintely got everyone off their feet and made me dance and sing along! Click here for the video or watch below.
I've actually seen him twice now as I went to Capital's Jingle Bell Ball 2015 and he played there. Click here for the video. Last Christmas was when the album was blowing up and I was thoroughly addicted to the whole album and kept playing it on repeat constantly. Given the fact it has been quite a while since the release, I haven't listened to the album as much so I didn't quite have all the hype I had last year but I was really excited to see what he did with the set up. I was even more intrigued when I saw the timetable for the night because he was going to be on stage for nearly 2 hours with a short interval break in the middle.
I have to say, I'm very impressed with the night as a whole. I was kept thoroughly entertained. I was on my feet, dancing and singing along. I loved the massive variety in stage set up and all the little bonus pieces, plus having not looked into the previous performance on this tour, I found myself constantly being shocked and amazed by new things coming out.
Firstly, the stage was set up so it had two levels with a pretty steep ramp between the two. This made for incredible dance routines and slick transitions as the team and Justin slid down or ran up them. On the top platform was not one, but two bands with guitars and drum sets. I quite liked the fact their was two because despite the unnecessary extra resources, it made the stage very symmetrical and balanced.
This show was defintely focussed on the dancing more than the singing which honestly I didn't mind. You would have thought people come to concerts to hear the singing but personally, I come for everything else. You can listen to the songs on the CD and that's going to be the best of their vocals on that track. I come for the talking, stage banter, dancing, stage work and the atmosphere.
The atmosphere was incredible and everyone was on their feet the entire time. Despite my best efforts, my dancing skills were in no way a match to the dancers and Justin. I mean the energy that went into all the crisp moves was inspiring. Everything was so slick and while Justin's lack of live singing, at times not even bothering to bring the microphone to his mouth to pretend to sing, may have been seen as lazy, he still sang parts in almost-perfect vocals; he kept up with all the professional dancers and could have easily been mistaken as one. I have no idea how he remembered all the songs and all the routines and all the dance moves simultaneously.
For one of the songs, some little children were brought on and seamlessly joined in the dance routine and it was really quite adorable. I had assumed that they were a part of the tour but it appeared they had never met Justin before the night and the spoke in English accents so he must have some children join him each night from the local area. It was actually really sweet that he took the time to welcome and introduce all of them and then they went off the stage with their handler. At the time, I was in shock that they'd just melted into the routine and looked to be a real part of it, in front of a screaming full O2 audience crowd. I'm still very impressed they didn't mess up or get stage-fright.
Even with all the dancing and party, up-beat songs, I'm really glad he chose to slow down a few of the songs and also showcase his musical talents that I didn't know he had. A sofa came onto the stage - from nowhere - where he played the acoustic song while singing some of the quieter songs and then later, a platform with drums came on and as he played, they slowly raised to the heavens. I was really impressed that he could play both instruments with such a finesse.
I can't deny the creativity that went into the stage set up. On top of the main area, there were so many little extras that really made the night memorable. One of the most noticeable parts was the massive floating stage that came over the floor audience. In the centre was a bouncing trampoline which the dancers included into their routines so while Justin was singing and dancing with the girls, others were dipping into the audience and back. At one point, Justin lands on his back and is almost lying on the audience; they defintely felt they were being treated, with everyone rushing around and crowding underneath to take photos.
Even the very start was interesting because they managed to get the recorded screen image and turn it into a reality of Justin in a box. Actually, the song was 'Mark My Words' and Justin wrote the words while rising up and singing. It was backwards for the audience to read but the sparkly pen on the perplex glass box was a sight for sure.
The lighting team did such a great job too. I know they've been on tour for the vast majority of the year and so have had a lot of practice but everything is just perfectly positioned. I liked the laser beams for some of the songs, the skateboard scene was one of my favourites but I felt it was a little lack-luster and the dome with digital explosions was very clever! But the acrobats were my stand out moment; I was mesmerized!
"When Jesus comes back, you’re the first to go” to the audience members sat on the very top level. It probably wasn't meant to sound as threatening but it was a bit of a shock when he said it. There was kind of a soft awkward laugh echoing and then silence. He quickly filled in by asking some questions but it made me cringe! Also, he was a little strict with his 'be quiet' comments. He defintely didn't want anyone talking over him. I don't really judge celebrities over what I see in papers and in articles because I don't feel like I know them, but if I was a massive fan of his personality I might have been a little shocked.
Having said that, he did speak a few words of wisdom. I think the most important message was not to conform to Internet. I think there is defintely a social media facade that a lot of people promote but at the end of the day, that isn't real. What's real is what people see everyday and how that aspect is brought into light in interactions. Always remember to be an individual. Be yourself.
Thank you to Justin, his team and the team at The O2 plus Sky Backstage for making my night! Despite the 'you look 14 years old' comment, I had an absolute blast! :)
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