LightLovePeace' date='Dec 1st 2010, 7:24 AM
Review from the London Times 11/30/10:
(cannot link - you have to register to access it)
Everywhere but Britain loves Adam Lambert. The runner-up on last year’s American Idol has seen platinum sales of his debut album, For Your Entertainment, everywhere from Finland to New Zealand, while in America, his Glam Nation tour has been hailed one of 2010’s live highlights.
Here, the 28-year-old Californian has yet to score a significant hit. A year after its release, For Your Entertainment has struggled to go gold because radio stations refuse to play his singles. Yet Lambert should be ideal for British audiences. Theatrical, controversial, good-looking and openly gay, with an armoury of smart, punchy songs penned for him by the likes of Pink and Lady Gaga, he is the natural successor to Robbie Williams and, judging by his breathtaking show at Shepherds Bush Empire, as flamboyantly fabulous a performer as Freddie Mercury. From the moment that Lambert strode down a set of four steps in an outfit that Tim Burton might have dreamt up for Johnny Depp — from his sparkly top hat poked a red feather, his shredded, claret-coloured jacket had furry epaulettes and his flares hid his feet — it was impossible to tear your eyes off him. Not even the scantily-clad quartet of male and female dancers writhing on the floor, the multicoloured lasers criss-crossing the room or the Nick Rhodes lookalike bassist he snogged several times were as distracting as Lambert’s sexily swaying hips or kohl-rimmed panda eyes.
Two minutes in, the jacket was off and Lambert was baring his chest in a low-necked top while turning his album’s title track into what sounded like a synth-pop update of Depeche Mode’s Personal Jesus. He was on his knees for a truncated cover of Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire and rubbed himself against two black-leather-clad male dancers for Fever, a high-energy, Europop stomper that might have been a blend of the Pretenders Brass in Pocket and Mika’s Grace Kelly.
Lambert even pulled off a spell on a stool, spouting nonsense about learning to love yourself before loving others, while obviously eyeing up his cute bassist. On Whataya Want from Me, accompanied only by piano, he sang as if he was starring in an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, before slipping into a glitter-patterned coat and channelling Mercury again for a storming Strut and an encore of T. Rex’s 20th Century Boy that was almost drowned out by the screams from the crowd.
2010-11-29 UK: Shepherds Bush Empire, London
2010-11-29 UK: Shepherds Bush Empire, London
2010-11-29 UK: Shepherds Bush Empire, London
kitten31' date='Dec 1st 2010, 11:03 AM
I don't have much more to add to LL's recap, except that Adam was amazing and my husband really liked it, he was very impressed! Although he didn't understand the point in snogging his guitar player mid-song! He thought that was a bit odd. It was interesting to stay at the back, so many men back there (and short way to the bar! :haha: ), I am short so couldn't see anything, but had lots of fun nevertheless! LL and I were totally rocking out! Good, good times! I have to say I had a bit of a head ache the next day, which happened to be my birthday! But it was totally worth it, and Adam gave me a great birthday present!
2010-11-29 UK: Shepherds Bush Empire, London
Little Bee' date='Dec 1st 2010, 1:17 PM
I am uploading London pics here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ki55andtell/s...57625507549884/
2010-11-29 UK: Shepherds Bush Empire, London
Little Bee' date='Dec 1st 2010, 1:17 PM
I am uploading London pics here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ki55andtell/s...57625507549884/
Little Bee' date='Dec 1st 2010, 3:49 PM
Kiss and Tell
Opening Medley
2010-11-29 UK: Shepherds Bush Empire, London
joooory' date='Dec 1st 2010, 4:06 PM
vanglam76 HD
DTRH & ROF
2010-11-29 UK: Shepherds Bush Empire, London
Little Bee' date='Dec 1st 2010, 4:17 PM
Kiss and Tell
Dancer sequence
Little Bee' date='Dec 1st 2010, 6:34 PM
Kiss and Tell
Sleepwalker
2010-11-29 UK: Shepherds Bush Empire, London
ghosst' date='Dec 1st 2010, 7:14 PM
gh0ssstt HD close-up vids
Soaked (amazing silence)
WWFM
Aftermath
Strut
IIHY Band Intro
IIHY Dancers' Intro
2010-11-29 UK: Shepherds Bush Empire, London
Little Bee' date='Dec 1st 2010, 7:23 PM
Kiss and Tell
WWFM
Soaked
Little Bee' date='Dec 2nd 2010, 8:01 AM
KI55andTELL
Fever
2010-11-29 UK: Shepherds Bush Empire, London
Little Bee' date='Dec 2nd 2010, 9:37 AM
2010-11-29 UK: Shepherds Bush Empire, London
barb4Adam' date='Dec 2nd 2010, 9:40 AM
Merrycello OMG I LOVE THIS PIC LIKE A THOUSAND RAINBOWS!!! RT @KI55andTELL: Adam, London 20 This pic of Adam makes me laugh :) http://flic.kr/p/8XMA94
joooory' date='Dec 2nd 2010, 4:58 PM
KI55andTELL HD
Soaked
Aftermath
Band Interlude
SFW
2010-11-29 UK: Shepherds Bush Empire, London
joooory' date='Dec 2nd 2010, 5:13 PM
Libracats HD
Medley
Fever
SW
WWFM
Soaked
Aftermath
SFW
Strut
MA
2010-11-29 UK: Shepherds Bush Empire, London
sunrise123' date='Dec 2nd 2010, 6:03 PM
Ok well here is my review - you may well wish to move on quickly!! Am feeling pleasantly fuzzy with flu medication and alcohol - to celebrate the Grammy nomination !!- so this is going to be less than articulate and may well take till January to spell check
Was v excited - to put it mildy about the London concert. By Monday am stress levels started to build knowing about underground strike and totally unseasonble Arctic weather. Knew that journey across London was going to be long. Left work and managed to skid on ice and land on the pavement 1 metre away from a signpost that could have written off my car. Took deep breaths - arrived at car park - and found had left strpper heels at work (am only 5'4'') should I go back? Risk being half an hour later? Risk death by ice?? Decided to go for train. Phoned twenty - something. Had he remembered to print off tickets ? Unsurprisingly no !!!!- but had gone back home and was now in situ in London . Huge debate at main line station - tube or bus? Went with twenty - something's tube plan, mega delay at second station - doom was setting in!!! - it was already 8pm.
Astonishingly, managed to get to venue for support band's final number. Found good spot next to the exit, as anticipated, but twenty - something thought main arena would be better. Quickly surrounded at the back by LOADS of gorgeous gay guys and totally lovely emo - couple and a super experienced Mum. Immediadiately started to stress I couldn't see anything, but twenty - something and experienced mum said not to worry - surge would happen. I said no surge in Heaven as AFL fans too polite , but was ignored. Tried not to be distracted by gay boys fabby chatter and emo - boy's mega watt smile every time I looked at him, while twenty-something discussed conflict resolution very earnestly. 'Honestly Mum, do you have to make friends with everyone?' Emo boy , AFL virgin, v excited about possibility of Enter Sandman, Purple Haze or WLL.
Asked gay guys to take down 6'8'' guy in front in surge - they all totally agreed, BUT TOTALLY FAILED , clearly too nice and there was NOOOOO surge !! Twenty - something who is trained to do this x60 clearly not in the zone, so unfortunately had to look through TINY gap standing painfully on tip-toes . BUT ANYWAY LESS OF THE WHINGING!!!
I totally loved the whole production. Please don't be cross with me, but I had thought the whole top hat, furry purple coat - costume effect was rather over the top in the You Tubes , but in a real setting it looked AMAZING. The whole light show was fabulous. I've heard people say the sound was iffy , but from the back it sounded fabulous. Yes, the volume increased as the programme went on , but I assumed that was how it was supposed to sound. I was just sad that I couldn't see the dance moves - however my kids say that this is what they generally see at concerts unless there are jumbotrons.
As for the twenty-something, he said he really enjoyed it. Loved the lighting, laughed at the self - help banter - 'I've never been to a concert and got free therapy!', possibly enjoyed Heaven more - more raw, still rated Monte, thought Adam had a great voice though theatrical and retro - overall he'd enjoyed it!
Finally thank you MASSIVELY to Suz and Little Bee and to all the other wonderful IDF people , like Silvia , Madam, Joory , Vista and everyone else who have let me enjoy these concerts through their videos and tweet - bringing - thingies and everything. I have had such a fun time. Ok , will now lurk off and never be heard of again !
Love and thanks sxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
sunrise123' date='Dec 2nd 2010, 6:14 PM
........and forgot to say , how amazing he sang.................
2010-11-29 UK: Shepherds Bush Empire, London
Little Bee' date='Dec 3rd 2010, 5:12 PM
More pics from Shepherds Bush by me
2010-11-29 UK: Shepherds Bush Empire, London
barb4Adam' date='Dec 3rd 2010, 9:56 PM
ADAM LAMBERT '" the LEGEND BEGINS as the GLAM NATION TOUR ENDS
by Kerry Kolsch, associated content
There is an Irresistible Compulsion to Brag About Witnessing History in the Making
Kerry Kolsch
Dec 1, 2010
In years to come many will boast about having attended one or as many as they possibly could of Adam Lambert’s Glam Nation concerts. There is an irresistible compulsion to brag about witnessing history in the making. Prophesying Adam Lambert’s fame and success is now out of the realm of fan fiction and into predictable reality. Monday night in London performing to a sold out enthusiastic crowd Adam Lambert ended the European portion his tour.
The reviews are in and the London Times called Adam “as flamboyantly fabulous a performer as Freddie Mercury” and noticed that when Lambert took the stage “it was impossible to tear your eyes off him”. The Guardian described the performance as ” drama mixed with soul-saturated vocals”. Except for the final hometown show dates in LA at the Music Box on December 15 and at the Nokia on December 16 the Glam Nation Tour has concluded.
Lambert’s first headlining tour gave us an inkling of the kind of artist he is and what he will become. Anyone who saw Lambert’s live performance realizes he will be an iconic transformative entertainer. Lambert is more than an enormously talented singer he is an artistic creator who embraces the transcendental qualities of sound to amalgamate emotion with the rhythmical cyclic values of the music, thus transforming the theater into an other worldly journey narrated by a hypnotizing storyteller.
Using sound and image Lambert burrowed into the realm of his experiences from classical training to his Zodiac performances focusing on the inevitable rituality of the performative act. Unconcerned with the façade of dramaturgy Lambert prefers to embrace the lucidity of his truth. It is with his purity and innocence juxtaposed with his raw sexuality that Lambert explores the junction between the audience and performer. It is from that seeming contradiction that Lambert derives his authenticity. Lambert is simultaneously both innocent and seductive. Adam Lambert is the work of art and the performer of art as all icons have been.
Adam Lambert is his own creation. Since the first time we viewed him auditioning on American Idol he was immensely captivating. Since then we became familiar with his evolution.
Lambert transitioned from the big voiced, starry eyed, freckled faced kid with the dream to the raven haired, hip grinding, heartthrob and iconoclast who single handedly forever changed the notion that a gay man can not be a universal sex symbol. Lambert has been named the Sexiest Male Celebrity of 2010 by Flecking Records previously Lambert was one of People Magazine's Most Beautiful People and Billboard's Sexiest Man in Music. Unlike the over produced Auto Tuned current array of pop stars Adam Lambert can actually sing. It is Adam Lambert's voice that has taken the world by storm.
Adam Lambert can sing like no other in the current music industry. We knew Adam had a beautiful voice, but it is only now that so many have seen Lambert perform live across the globe that we realize the magnitude of his artistry. The unplugged portion of his performance displayed Lambert's raw unadulterated talent. Lambert's voice stayed powerful, crystal clear and in perfect pitch. For well over a hundred performances Lambert's soaring vocals were always exquisite.
Lambert's seemingly effortless timing and the ability to spontaneously change the nuances of a song was displayed again and again. We remember how at Fantasy Springs Lambert twisted Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love into something bluesy, mesmerizingly provocative and acoustic. Then most recently Lambert changed the Jimi HendrixPurple Haze lyric from "'Scuse me while I kiss the sky" to "'Scuse me while I kiss this guy" and then, as the Brits say, Adam snogged his bassist, Tommy Ratliff. Adam will always be surprising and unforgettable.
The recent review of Adam Lambert's acoustic EP titled Acoustic Live from the New York Daily News illustrates the acknowledgement of Lambert's talent by the mainstream press:
" Lambert's 'acoustic' CD makes good on the title claim as far as the instrumentation lies. But it's clear he had no intention of dialing down his vocals - a good thing. Bombast remains a virtue in Lambert's case. He's downright operatic in 'Soaked' and as wild as Freddy Mercury on 'Music Again.' All the stripped background does is give Lambert more room to trill and soar. No wonder his acoustic disc feels electrifying ."
Lambert, the writer, took Down the Rabbit Hole , Strut, Aftermath, Voodoo and Broken Open*on the road with him. Lambert the singer made them magic. These co-penned songs from For Your Entertainment showed Lambert's
ability to create lyrics with whimsy, introspection, vulnerability and affirmation. What better anthem could the LGBT youth have than Aftermath? With these songs and we have a glimpse of what promises to be a substantial career not only as an electrifying entertainer but also as a songwriter.
The Glam Nation Tour has ended and my observation is that Adam Lambert did just what he intended to do. He mesmerized the world, one sold out venue at a time. He is well on his way to becoming the international superstar that his fans and Simon Cowell predicted he would be.
Click here to continue...
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/6..._the.html?cat=2
What an absolutely amazing tribute/review to end the international tour!! w00t.gif
2010-11-29 UK: Shepherds Bush Empire, London
Little Bee' date='Dec 4th 2010, 9:16 AM
All my London, Shepherds Bush videos in HD (Manchester and Birmingham to follow)
Kiss and Tell
Opening Medley
Fever
Dancers
Sleepwalker
WWFM
Soaked
Aftermath
Band Interlude
SFW
Strut
Music Again
IIHY
TCB
Will add vid of Adam leaving the venue into this post after
My London photos - still being added to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ki55andtell/s...57625507549884/
2010-11-29 UK: Shepherds Bush Empire, London
Little Bee' date='Dec 8th 2010, 1:32 PM
Kiss and Tell
Adam leaving Shepherds Bush
2010-11-29 UK: Shepherds Bush Empire, London
joooory' date='Dec 15th 2010, 8:00 PM
UKGlamb HD
Voodoo & FYE
Strut
IIHY
2010-11-29 UK: Shepherds Bush Empire, London
Lambosessed' date='Jan 1st 2011, 12:14 PM
Here's my review of the London concert that I wrote for my blog. You can view it with the playlist and photos here http://bit.ly/ALOGNLon or just read the text below.
WARNING: very long
A Glam Nation virgin up until then, this was the concert that exploded my cherry. I managed to rush back after a hectic weekend, but on the morning of the concert, I woke up with a sore throat, loaded nose, congested head and the shivers. I debated whether I should risk making myself feel like death by waiting outside in horrid sub-zero temperatures, the coldest spell in years, but you can guess which voice won that debate in record time. I'd never done much queueing for gigs nor been to any alone, so in making the conscious decision to brave the arctic conditions for six hours, I was shocked by what a rabid freaking cray I'd become. But as soon as I reached the venue with my crystal glove (just in case), small queues of even more rabid freaking crays gave me plenty of reassurance regarding my sanity. Hooray for rabid freaking crays! (I can't believe I just wrote that.)
The majority of fans were female of various ages. Some who I thought must've been northerners wore very little and shivered in the name of glam, others resigned to standing in the most un-glam of black bin liners to try to stay warm. I'm not sure Adam would've approved. There were four different queues in total, where fans exchanged tales of how we fell for Adam, our encounters, concerts, favourite performances and songs, counting the hours down together, even bursting into song. There was a familiarity in the way that we eased into discussions, freely gushing. The affinity between complete strangers with a shared passion was very apparent, the warmth of kindness and chatter taking the edge off the icy weather.
It wasn't all rainbows though, as the cynic in me felt there were ulterior motives too. Little cliques formed, making it easier to keep track of people moving where they shouldn't and tugging on their consciences. I sensed an underlying steely determination and when it boiled down to it, everyone was for themselves. The cold was unbearable and unfortunately it brought out the worst in some. I got further from the front as people had been saving places for others who turned up last-minute, and others who just pushed in. I couldn't summon my inner Bitchy McBastard to complain because getting into an argument would've left a bad feeling hanging over me. Queue-jumpers, you know who you are and you should hang your ugly heads in shame. I'll remind you that for every queue placed jumped, a kitten gets throttled.
I'd taken a gamble to try to get up close as I'd already watched my last concert from the back of the room. When I finally got in, my heart sank because I realised I got shafted by the extra O2 priority queue and the extra Paris VIPs. Even after a six hour wait, I only managed to get into something like the tenth row, sardines squashed against me from all sides and too many heads in front. Faint and you'd still be standing. The result was not worth the endurance test. You had to hope you didn't drop anything as the chance of retrieving it without simulating oral sex with your neighbouring sardine was precisely zero. There was also no point spending time on my appearance as everything turned into a mess after the eye-watering cold. In fact it was so cold I kept most of my layers on. Not that anyone would've been able to see what I was wearing anyway. It's the only time wished I were a yeti with hygiene issues. A brick shithouse build, hairy coat and no one wanting to be within a metre of me would've been ideal.
The warm-up act were very enthusiastic and tried to get the crowd going but they weren't really my cup of tea. In the gap between bands, people shared glitter and glowsticks. The projector guy discovered that when a picture of Adam was shown, the crowd would scream so he started freaking with us by flashing the pictures, amused by the textbook Pavlovian response each time. As the time drew nearer, people started stamping their feet and chanting his name in eager anticipation.
When Adam came on, necks elongated, arms flung into the air and the temperature suddenly rose. I wish that on low stages, Adam would stay close to the front so the angle allows more visibility. I was frustrated by the lack of lighting, and the peacock feathers, arms and cameras obstructed my view. Since I couldn't beat them, I decided to join them with my camera doubling up as a periscope. I couldn't even hear the start of Voodoo through the screaming so missed the first few seconds.
I'd been used to seeing Adam in two dimensions, so seeing him in three was enthralling. His strong other-worldly presence left me awestruck and I felt more than ever that he inhabited a different plane of existence. Everything about him was amplified and much more accentuated. He was bigger, taller, brighter, glitterier, more radiant, more animated and more dramatic than any video can convey. I remember looking on in fascination at his mouth, how big it became and how thick his tongue was as he wailed through RoF. I was a little surprised by how long his hair had grown. It didn't look too healthy and his makeup seemed to be excessive, leaning towards drag but I appreciated its benefit to those at the back of the room who received that heart-stopping moment of eye contact as he scanned the audience. His movements were huge but graceful and sharp. Sometimes it was too much for me and I wanted him to stand still so I could take my time to look at and study his appearance. I wanted to touch him to see if he was real but he was out of my reach in every sense.
Fever started with toreador Adam squaring up to Tommy before going in for the kill. I couldn't hear his voice very clearly during much of the song but it was more than compensated for by those bonus riffs and stratospheric high notes. It turned out that every time he hit one, I gasped and felt a rush rise up and the crowd responded by screaming. I was thrilled that his voice was on top form and as so often happens on the last night of consecutive gigs, he went for it. The surprise ending was magnificent and my fellow sardines, equally amazed, turned to each other as if needing confirmation of what just happened.
I couldn't see much of the dancers during the interlude, I just remember Terrance who I'd describe as beautifully big and round, moving very fluidly. There was an extended intro to Sleepwalker which sounded great. We were all very excited, wondering if it was intentional and whether any surprises awaited. The images of the stone angel and lightning stayed up for a while before Adam came on but without drifting down the steps and without the long sweeping overcoat. I think the coat adds quite a lot to the performance, completing the image of the tortured lone comic-book hero so I missed it. He explained about the sound difficulties and when he spoke there was a strange effect. He sounded really high, lacking in depth and richness. Something wasn't quite right with the sound but it was eventually corrected.
He was very relaxed and uninhibited when it came to the banter at the start of WWFM, potty-mouthed and swearing freely as he spoke about the sound issues and how he considered this to be the last show of the tour. We sang along but it was over so quickly. Sometimes I think it's better that we don't know the lyrics off by heart so we don't sing over Adam. I felt this especially during Soaked, a spine-tingling version where the crowd was mercifully quiet for much of it but unfortunately a whistle opened the floodgates. I appreciated the effort Adam made in using Brit English when he talked about being "pissed drunk". My reflex was he was saying it wrong by following it with "drunk" but later realised he was clarifying it for large number of non-Brits present.
I didn't see Aftermath. He was too far back from the front of the stage and there weren't enough gaps between heads, so to watch it I had to follow the many camera-periscopes. The videos were the first I saw of it. The whole venue was once again united in song and I was surprised at preferring the sweeter tone of his voice here to that of the powerful Soaked. Much of SFW was done away from the front of the stage so I watched the lasers, jumping and fist-pumping with the rest of the room. Adam shouted something in a high voice loaded with impatience which I assumed was aimed at the sound engineer. His voice was a little drowned out during Strut but I loved the stompy bassline so just danced (i.e. shuffled on the spot because that was the only thing possible). The ending was unusual because he missed out all the "Strut for me..." but it was another stellar vocal. As I couldn't see much, I decided to film MA as it's one that's often missing. The crowd went wild when he used Tommy as his plaything. The ear-piercing screams got louder as the night progressed. IIHY was one of the most enjoyable performances as I gave up trying to see, just enjoyed the buzz, jumping about and singing with abandon. There was a massive note just before the dancer intros that we all went crazy for and I was grateful he stood on top of the plinths for some of the time. He really went for it at the end so I was entertaining thoughts of a bonus encore.
I was happy after hearing the opening chords of TCB that we didn't get MW. It was an electrifying performance which involved some titillating tongue-tickling with Tommy. I tried my best to tiptoe that little bit higher to see Floorbert but my frostbitten legs still hadn't completely thawed out. My joy fell by a few notches when it struck me that the concert was finished as the band relinquished their instruments to leave. Damn my freaking sore throat which stopped me making enough noise to help us get a double encore! I thought during the course of the evening that we might as it was the last one, Adam was cheekily unfiltered and the atmosphere was awesome. I was dearly hoping for WLL but perhaps the sound issues had already ruled it out. Time had whizzed by and the end seemed so abrupt. The crowd scarpered to the barricades but by the time I got there it was already about six deep. The reunification of gloves would not be happening this time.
For me, the highlight of the concert was that extraordinary marvel of a voice, so in that respect, it was the best I'd heard in a long time. Fever — usually one for visuals — showcased it to staggering effect. Whenever a superhuman high note was hit, mouths were agape in astonishment. But it wasn't all about the glory notes as I really came to appreciate the stunning soft timbre of the more subtle performances, soothing and caressing. I feel thankful to have experienced Glam Nation as I know that the scramble to see Adam in future will only get more challenging. I wrongly thought there'd be a fair chance of seeing Adam up close if I got there six hours early. It was the closest I'd been but the effort was wasted as I would've had a better view from the back of the room. A week later I'm still ill so unless guaranteed a place in the first couple of rows, I'll never put myself through queueing that long again. But the things we do for Adam never stop surprising us. Feel free to taunt me with that statement the next time Adam returns for a concert.
Here's my review of the London concert that I wrote for my blog. You can view it with the playlist and photos here http://bit.ly/ALOGNLon or just read the text below.
WARNING: very long
A Glam Nation virgin up until then, this was the concert that exploded my cherry. I managed to rush back after a hectic weekend, but on the morning of the concert, I woke up with a sore throat, loaded nose, congested head and the shivers. I debated whether I should risk making myself feel like death by waiting outside in horrid sub-zero temperatures, the coldest spell in years, but you can guess which voice won that debate in record time. I'd never done much queueing for gigs nor been to any alone, so in making the conscious decision to brave the arctic conditions for six hours, I was shocked by what a rabid freaking cray I'd become. But as soon as I reached the venue with my crystal glove (just in case), small queues of even more rabid freaking crays gave me plenty of reassurance regarding my sanity. Hooray for rabid freaking crays! (I can't believe I just wrote that.)
The majority of fans were female of various ages. Some who I thought must've been northerners wore very little and shivered in the name of glam, others resigned to standing in the most un-glam of black bin liners to try to stay warm. I'm not sure Adam would've approved. There were four different queues in total, where fans exchanged tales of how we fell for Adam, our encounters, concerts, favourite performances and songs, counting the hours down together, even bursting into song. There was a familiarity in the way that we eased into discussions, freely gushing. The affinity between complete strangers with a shared passion was very apparent, the warmth of kindness and chatter taking the edge off the icy weather.
It wasn't all rainbows though, as the cynic in me felt there were ulterior motives too. Little cliques formed, making it easier to keep track of people moving where they shouldn't and tugging on their consciences. I sensed an underlying steely determination and when it boiled down to it, everyone was for themselves. The cold was unbearable and unfortunately it brought out the worst in some. I got further from the front as people had been saving places for others who turned up last-minute, and others who just pushed in. I couldn't summon my inner Bitchy McBastard to complain because getting into an argument would've left a bad feeling hanging over me. Queue-jumpers, you know who you are and you should hang your ugly heads in shame. I'll remind you that for every queue placed jumped, a kitten gets throttled.
I'd taken a gamble to try to get up close as I'd already watched my last concert from the back of the room. When I finally got in, my heart sank because I realised I got shafted by the extra O2 priority queue and the extra Paris VIPs. Even after a six hour wait, I only managed to get into something like the tenth row, sardines squashed against me from all sides and too many heads in front. Faint and you'd still be standing. The result was not worth the endurance test. You had to hope you didn't drop anything as the chance of retrieving it without simulating oral sex with your neighbouring sardine was precisely zero. There was also no point spending time on my appearance as everything turned into a mess after the eye-watering cold. In fact it was so cold I kept most of my layers on. Not that anyone would've been able to see what I was wearing anyway. It's the only time wished I were a yeti with hygiene issues. A brick shithouse build, hairy coat and no one wanting to be within a metre of me would've been ideal.
The warm-up act were very enthusiastic and tried to get the crowd going but they weren't really my cup of tea. In the gap between bands, people shared glitter and glowsticks. The projector guy discovered that when a picture of Adam was shown, the crowd would scream so he started freaking with us by flashing the pictures, amused by the textbook Pavlovian response each time. As the time drew nearer, people started stamping their feet and chanting his name in eager anticipation.
When Adam came on, necks elongated, arms flung into the air and the temperature suddenly rose. I wish that on low stages, Adam would stay close to the front so the angle allows more visibility. I was frustrated by the lack of lighting, and the peacock feathers, arms and cameras obstructed my view. Since I couldn't beat them, I decided to join them with my camera doubling up as a periscope. I couldn't even hear the start of Voodoo through the screaming so missed the first few seconds.
I'd been used to seeing Adam in two dimensions, so seeing him in three was enthralling. His strong other-worldly presence left me awestruck and I felt more than ever that he inhabited a different plane of existence. Everything about him was amplified and much more accentuated. He was bigger, taller, brighter, glitterier, more radiant, more animated and more dramatic than any video can convey. I remember looking on in fascination at his mouth, how big it became and how thick his tongue was as he wailed through RoF. I was a little surprised by how long his hair had grown. It didn't look too healthy and his makeup seemed to be excessive, leaning towards drag but I appreciated its benefit to those at the back of the room who received that heart-stopping moment of eye contact as he scanned the audience. His movements were huge but graceful and sharp. Sometimes it was too much for me and I wanted him to stand still so I could take my time to look at and study his appearance. I wanted to touch him to see if he was real but he was out of my reach in every sense.
Fever started with toreador Adam squaring up to Tommy before going in for the kill. I couldn't hear his voice very clearly during much of the song but it was more than compensated for by those bonus riffs and stratospheric high notes. It turned out that every time he hit one, I gasped and felt a rush rise up and the crowd responded by screaming. I was thrilled that his voice was on top form and as so often happens on the last night of consecutive gigs, he went for it. The surprise ending was magnificent and my fellow sardines, equally amazed, turned to each other as if needing confirmation of what just happened.
I couldn't see much of the dancers during the interlude, I just remember Terrance who I'd describe as beautifully big and round, moving very fluidly. There was an extended intro to Sleepwalker which sounded great. We were all very excited, wondering if it was intentional and whether any surprises awaited. The images of the stone angel and lightning stayed up for a while before Adam came on but without drifting down the steps and without the long sweeping overcoat. I think the coat adds quite a lot to the performance, completing the image of the tortured lone comic-book hero so I missed it. He explained about the sound difficulties and when he spoke there was a strange effect. He sounded really high, lacking in depth and richness. Something wasn't quite right with the sound but it was eventually corrected.
He was very relaxed and uninhibited when it came to the banter at the start of WWFM, potty-mouthed and swearing freely as he spoke about the sound issues and how he considered this to be the last show of the tour. We sang along but it was over so quickly. Sometimes I think it's better that we don't know the lyrics off by heart so we don't sing over Adam. I felt this especially during Soaked, a spine-tingling version where the crowd was mercifully quiet for much of it but unfortunately a whistle opened the floodgates. I appreciated the effort Adam made in using Brit English when he talked about being "pissed drunk". My reflex was he was saying it wrong by following it with "drunk" but later realised he was clarifying it for large number of non-Brits present.
I didn't see Aftermath. He was too far back from the front of the stage and there weren't enough gaps between heads, so to watch it I had to follow the many camera-periscopes. The videos were the first I saw of it. The whole venue was once again united in song and I was surprised at preferring the sweeter tone of his voice here to that of the powerful Soaked. Much of SFW was done away from the front of the stage so I watched the lasers, jumping and fist-pumping with the rest of the room. Adam shouted something in a high voice loaded with impatience which I assumed was aimed at the sound engineer. His voice was a little drowned out during Strut but I loved the stompy bassline so just danced (i.e. shuffled on the spot because that was the only thing possible). The ending was unusual because he missed out all the "Strut for me..." but it was another stellar vocal. As I couldn't see much, I decided to film MA as it's one that's often missing. The crowd went wild when he used Tommy as his plaything. The ear-piercing screams got louder as the night progressed. IIHY was one of the most enjoyable performances as I gave up trying to see, just enjoyed the buzz, jumping about and singing with abandon. There was a massive note just before the dancer intros that we all went crazy for and I was grateful he stood on top of the plinths for some of the time. He really went for it at the end so I was entertaining thoughts of a bonus encore.
I was happy after hearing the opening chords of TCB that we didn't get MW. It was an electrifying performance which involved some titillating tongue-tickling with Tommy. I tried my best to tiptoe that little bit higher to see Floorbert but my frostbitten legs still hadn't completely thawed out. My joy fell by a few notches when it struck me that the concert was finished as the band relinquished their instruments to leave. Damn my freaking sore throat which stopped me making enough noise to help us get a double encore! I thought during the course of the evening that we might as it was the last one, Adam was cheekily unfiltered and the atmosphere was awesome. I was dearly hoping for WLL but perhaps the sound issues had already ruled it out. Time had whizzed by and the end seemed so abrupt. The crowd scarpered to the barricades but by the time I got there it was already about six deep. The reunification of gloves would not be happening this time.
For me, the highlight of the concert was that extraordinary marvel of a voice, so in that respect, it was the best I'd heard in a long time. Fever — usually one for visuals — showcased it to staggering effect. Whenever a superhuman high note was hit, mouths were agape in astonishment. But it wasn't all about the glory notes as I really came to appreciate the stunning soft timbre of the more subtle performances, soothing and caressing. I feel thankful to have experienced Glam Nation as I know that the scramble to see Adam in future will only get more challenging. I wrongly thought there'd be a fair chance of seeing Adam up close if I got there six hours early. It was the closest I'd been but the effort was wasted as I would've had a better view from the back of the room. A week later I'm still ill so unless guaranteed a place in the first couple of rows, I'll never put myself through queueing that long again. But the things we do for Adam never stop surprising us. Feel free to taunt me with that statement the next time Adam returns for a concert.
2010-11-29 UK: Shepherds Bush Empire, London
Little Bee' date='Jan 1st 2011, 12:39 PM
Thanks for that recap Lambossesed, I really enjoyed reading it and found myself agreeing with you at so much of what you said.
I was one of the crazies that queued for a long, long time at the shows and was lucky to get the front. Lucky I say, but to get there I paid for M&G's and then also queued from 11am at Shepherds Bush. We were number 6 of the M&G people to arrive so was sure we would have front. Howver by the time the M&G started there were already so many people who got in front of us that arrived well after lunchtime. As you say it is everyone for themselves once the doors open and people do save spaces. It is an unfair system but what can we do? And it will only get worse in future. We were lucky and managed to get to the front side area, after Lucas ran down the steps to stake his claim on his rightful place. We were also lucky to have decent people around us at this one that didn't crush him. I also have to say that some of the people we met in the queue that day were lovely and respectful @theemotionbatz being one of them. I honestly was very shocked at the way some people acted.
I think the M&G system has made it even more competitive to get the front but of course it is a great source of revenue. Lots of people get the M&G with no intention to meet Adam but take advantage of early entry into the theatre.
I like the seated venues as that takes away this sort of scenario but of course the GA experience usually is a better show.
I don't think there are any easy answers and I am sure other fandoms have all experienced similar but it doesn't soften the blow when you have been qu.uing for so long etc in such cold temperatures.
Little Bee' date='Jan 2nd 2011, 1:02 PM
It was because of Lucas that I took the M&G route, if he hadn't been at the front he wouldn't have seen a thing. I stood behind him at Birmingham and he was fine, he got squashed at Manchester and we had to have him pulled from the crowd and as I said at London we had really decent people around us. :thumbs: You are right tho, no one gives an inch, not even for a child that is a good foot shorter than the people around them. But it was my choice to take him and take a chance on that happening and overall we did have a good weekend. It is just a shame that some people are so ruthless and it is always the onces you least expect it to be.
It most certainly was an eye opening weekend! :fear:
The VIP thing would be fine if it was kept to the original number and venues were bigger, for example at Birmingham it was 50 people and a tiny stage so the front row was only about 12-15 people. Neil was lovely here and let Lucas meet Adam first so he could get to the front but several people had 'saved' their spaces on the barrier with coats etc which Neil said does not guarantee that space. He did mention to us how it was the same people at the front at every show. (he made me laugh with some of his comments :haha: )
In London there were the added Paris people to contend with too. What they should have done here was let them get their pic with Adam as that is what they were there for but not be able to grab the front again as they had that chance in Paris.
I think it is okay providing it is better organised, but again it is then becoming a system where money stands for everything. They need to limit the amount of M&G's per tour or make them valid in your own country only or something. If there are then spare places left over then offer them out to everyone. I have nothing against people travelling to see him (I went to USA myself) but maybe it would be a better and more fair system if travelling fans did not take up all the m&g's. I know I can't complain as I got them and I am very grateful but I also know people that didn't, and then also know that the ones who did have them to multiple shows were also not very fair or gracious to other fans. Of course, this does not apply to everyone - some people were lovely.
2010-11-29 UK: Shepherds Bush Empire, London
Lambosessed' date='Jan 3rd 2011, 9:36 PM
Adam Lambert's Fever, London - Improved version & downloads