The infinite charm of Mac DeMarco

Mac DeMarco made a triumphant return to Luxembourg on Wednesday and delighted the Rockhal crowd with a night of unadulterated joy.

His last appearance in Luxembourg was at Exit07 back in 2013, since then DeMarco has released two critically acclaimed albums and moved on from the lo-fi rock sound to a more polished and accomplished psych pop groove winning him legions of fans around the globe as the poster child of the slacker rock movement.

First up last night was Australian Alex Cameron and as he called him his business partner Roy Molloy on saxophone. Cameron came out wearing a striking silver velvet suit and serenaded us to some programmed beats and synths giving the revitalised 80s sound a nice twist as he waltzed around the stage pulling off some stellar power poses. His dry humour between songs just added an extra element which took us into stand up comedy territory, winning over anyone not so sure about the whole 80s revival.

After a truly enjoyable and amusing set from Cameron, DeMarco and band walked onto the stage along with new bassist Rory McCarthy sporting a fine dress to the comical The Bollock Brothers “Harley David (Son of a Bitch)” song accompanied by images of Kelsey Grammer on the screen above their heads, both of which sum them up quite perfectly and reaffirms this is not a band who take themselves too seriously.

As laidback as his last two albums have been, the songs seem to have taken on a more urgent feel live, maybe this is to add more excitement and energy to the live show but whatever the reason it worked as the jangly guitars and woozy vocals on “The way you Love Her” and “Salad Days” whipped up the crowd into joyous raptures creating a party atmosphere in the room.

With plenty of energy perpetrating throughout the crowd it took to “Another One” to take it down a bit with much of the audience bringing out their lighters and swaying away, even on the down tempo moments they wanted to get involved.

The instrumental of Steely Dan’s “Reelin’ in the Years” took the show into Spinal Tap territory with both guitarists and bassist playing their instruments behind their heads, there are few shows you see people bent double with laughter but last night was one of them, as DeMarco’s infinite charm of this happy-go-lucky, slacker-rock persona managed to convey an intimate and relatable affair for the audience.

Keeping it upbeat, “Freaking out the Neighbourhood” had the jangly guitars and woozy vocals prevalent as usual with DeMarco bringing Molloy from the support back onto stage and asked the audience to help him crowd surf, to which a sea of hands went up and kept him afloat whilst a others in the crowd decided to join in.

Finishing on the relatively slow “Chamber of Reflection” and “Still Together”, the band were joined by Cameron and Molloy as new bass player McCarthy began to thank the band for the tour which then descended into them all hugging and chatting on stage before a theatrical moment saw a few of them collapsing to the floor, no doubt this is a fun tour to be part of, it was certainly a fun one to to witness.

Rockhal – 13.07.16

Joe Bonamassa – A salute to the British blues explosion

Neimënster continued their run of open air shows on Tuesday night with American blues rocker Joe Bonamassa taking on the British blues acts of the 60s.

This special show saw Bonamassa pay homage to the music of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, all of whom have had a huge influence on the guitarist, as he said last night “If it wasn’t for those guys I’d probably be a house painter”.

From an early age Bonamassa had been brought up on British blues and it’s a sound that has resonated with him all his life, stating “There’s a certain sophistication to their approach to the blues that I really like”. This adulation of the genre saw him take to the road and tour the songs of his three most influential, Beck, Clapton and Page.

Opening the evening was English blues guitarist Joanne Shaw Taylor who was discovered at the tender age of 16 by Dave Stewart of the Eurhythmics, and if her voice hasn’t changed much in the perusing years then you can see why. Her warm raspy vocals complimented the heavy blues rock; it came as no surprise that she is always on the road as the stage looked like a second home to her.

Then it was time for Bonamassa, with his blue suit, slicked back hair and sunglasses he strolled out onto the stage and kicked into Jeff Beck’s “Beck’s Bolero”, a ten-minute instrumental which was to set the tone for the evening, from some raw guitar riffs to the most delicate of nuances he had it all.

It would have been easy for Bonamassa to play all the hits but this was one for the purists, choosing some of the more leftfield tracks such as Led Zeppelin’s “Boogie with Stu”, however he still brought his own twist to the songs, again giving us something extra throughout.

It wasn’t just Bonamassa that thrilled the crowd either, but his incredible band made up of recent Rock & Roll hall of famer Reece Wynans on keys for his part in Stevie Ray Vaughan’s band, Russ Irwin on guitar, Michael Rhodes on bass and Anton “The thunder from down under” Fig. So as you can imagine the band were tight when required but also knew when to loosen it up and just allow Bonamassa to go off on one of his solos but it was his breakdowns which were as encapsulating as anything else such as on Beck’s “Let Me Love You Baby”

With the show coming to a close Bonamassa extended Clapton’s “Pretending” with the help of some mercurial skills from Wynans on keys as they stretched it out with some incredible blues riffs, the likes that hooked Bonamassa when he was just a child.

He brought the evening to a close with a Zeppelin double header of “White Summer” and “How Many More Times”, the former being another welcome leftfield choice with its Arabic inspired guitar sound as Bonamassa held the stage all on his own with this solo.

After a set full of British blues classics, they came back for the encore and played “Slow Gin” off Bonamassa’s album of the same name. For someone who was suffering from a sinus infection his vocals were on just as top form as his guitar playing.

It was a rare treat to see a guitarist of such calibre playing all the songs that have influenced him from a young age and with a new album out here’s hoping he’ll be back touring once more very soon.

Neimënster – 12.07.16

Iggy Pop – Still full of raw power

The godfather of punk brought his lust for life to Luxembourg for the first time on Monday night and with the casements as his backdrop he couldn’t have picked a better setting than Neimënster Abbey.

It’s 47 years since Iggy Pop rewrote the handbook of rock, introducing the world to punk before they even knew what it was. Still a force to be reckoned with, he has shown no signs of slowing down. His new album “Post Pop Depression” produced by Josh Homme of “Queens Of The Stone Age” is his most accomplished work since his Bowie produced albums “The Idiot” & “Lust for Life” of the mid-70s, with both producers managing to draw out his raw animal energy and existential angst to great effect.

Pop launched out of the traps, with The Stooges tracks “No Fun” and “I Wanna Be Your Dog”, songs most bands would kill to finish on, but with a back catalogue stretching to 1969 he had plenty more up his sleeve, well maybe more like down his trousers as Iggy was, as expected, flaunting his leathery torso and so he should.

His trademark primal energy seems unwavering after all these years as he delved into hits from his mid-70s creative peak with “The Passenger” and “Lust for Life”. With his fist pumping and lunging across the stage it didn’t take long before he made his way down into the pit in front of the crowd flailing his arms around with all his adoring fans.

As well as garage rock and punk there was still the evocative and sleazy grooves of “Nightclubbing” and art funk of “Sister Midnight” which saw Pop prowl over every inch of the stage. Although he might walk with a limp these days he can still make his way around the stage with vigour and looks more comfortable leaping around than he does walking, which pretty much sums him up, there is nothing idle about his performances.

After the encore he came back with a few from “Post Pop Depression” with the punk-funk baseline and shimmering guitars which has more than a touch of Bowie on “Sunday” before “Break Into Your Heart” which certainly has Homme’s fingerprints all over it with the brooding and simmering chunky sound. Since its release Pop has alluded to the new record being his last and if so it’s certainly a fitting departure.

With the night coming to a close there was one last blast of The Stooges with the powerhouse punk of “Search and Destroy” and “Down On The Street”. There are fewer greater sights in rock than the bare torso and long blond hair of Iggy Pop prowling the stage as he contorts his body to every grinding riff and thunderous beat.

Having first seen Pop 15 years ago I wondered how many years he had left with that energy in him, all this time later and I still wonder if anything can slow him down. Clearly drugs and aging hasn’t yet, lets just hope he can make it through 2016 and see if in 15 years time he’ll still have his lust for life, cause he certainly gives us ours.

Neimënster – 11/07/16

Flugelhorns & ukulele aplenty from Beirut

10 years on from their debut album, Beirut brought their blend of Balkan folk to Luxembourg for the first time, playing Rockhal on Wednesday night.

Started as a solo project by Zach Condon back in 2006, it quickly transformed into a touring band with many from those early days still with him today. 10 years on from “Gulag Orkestar” Condon has gone through marriage, divorce and exhaustion after extensive touring which explains the four years’ absence between the last two records. Now back with their 4th record “No No No” out on the wonderful 4AD records they have a new focus and drive.

Support last night came from local act Seed to Tree who created the perfect foil for the upcoming Beirut with their folk sentiments accompanied occasionally by a sparse mandolin whilst delving into some atmospheric soundscapes on “Wondering”. Over the last few years they have cemented themselves as one of the leading local bands and tonight just proved once more why, with a thoroughly accomplished set setting us up nicely for Beirut.

Arriving onstage to a slightly muted welcome, Condon and his 5-piece band consisting of Trombone, trumpet, accordion and ukulele along with the conventional drums, keyboards and bass kicked off the evening with “Scenic World” before moving swiftly into “Elephant Gun” which immediately set the tone for the night, with the brass section sweeping you up in the joyous Balkan jaunt which has become their signature sound.

Songs like “No No No” from their last album, whilst catchy don’t hold quite the same charm as the likes of “The Akara” which provided a darker more expressive sound whilst still achieving a polka-inspired rhythm and lively melody through the brass section and Condon’s vocals.

There does seem to be an intention to progress the sound somewhat on the new album, whilst still keeping the Balkan flow, but when the sound is diluted you end up with a few too many midtempo tracks that begin to blend into one another, fortunately they still have the likes of “Postcards From Italy” to bring it back.

As they began to get into the second half of the set the tempo was taken up a notch with the introduction of some synths on the likes of “Fener” & “The Rip Tide” which gave the sound a new refreshing dynamic.

“Nantes” got the biggest reaction up to that point with the crowd singing along for the first time before an encore consisting of a “A Hawk and A Hacksaw” cover of “Serbian Cocek”, which saw the brass section take on solos before finishing on “The Gulag Orkestar” which is probably their best example of the Balkan sound, gathering a riveting tempo at the end.

Although the set was littered with classic Beirut tracks which got your feet shuffling away, there are a few too many songs that just blend into one another and it wasn’t till the introduction of some bright keys later on, that they caught your attention once more.
Now on 4Ad it will be interesting to see how they continue to evolve their sound, whether they will lean towards a more radio friendly record such as “No No No” or will they go back to their core sound as on “The Gulag Orkestar”? Only time will tell.

Rockhal – 6.07.16

Musical theatre from Esperanza Spalding

Den Atelier welcomed American jazz bassist Esperanza Spalding as she revealed her alter ego Emily to the Luxembourg crowd for the first time on Sunday night.

With seven collaborative and five solo albums Spalding is clearly as prolific as she is talented. She became the first jazz act to win a best new artist Grammy in 2011 and has since won three more.

With the success of her first four albums it might come as bit of a surprise that she has changed direction somewhat with the new album “Emily’s D+Evolution” which was co-produced by David Bowie’s long time collaborator Tony Visconti. This takes her into a heavier almost prog rock sound, leaving behind the straight up jazz that has served her so well in the past. Although what has come as less of a surprise is that this too has been showered with critical acclaim.

Like many acts before her, she has taken to creating an alter ego to break from the pressures of a growing commercial success, this has allowed her to be more creative and adventurous and it certainly shows.

So as the lights dimmed and the band began to appear, the unmistakable silhouette of Spalding’s afro appeared front and centre. Then as the lights rose to reveal Spalding wrapped in a huge sheet, her backing singers began to unfurl her, she dipped down behind the sheet and re-appeared with braids and a crown revealing her new alter ego Emily.

This theatrical intro was to become a theme of the show, so it’s fitting she requested the co-production help from Visconti whilst creating this character.

The smooth jazz was out and replaced by a louder proggier jazz-rock sound as Spalding interacted with the backing singers they held up a sign saying “Evolution” which is rather apt for last night’s performance.

Although this might be a wilder, more scattered sound than we’ve come to expect from Spalding, she still knows how to unleash those jazz vocals which leapt and swerved through the octaves whilst still leaving you with that hint of a delicate Joni Mitchell tone.

You couldn’t help but keep your eyes on Spalding as she incorporated stage design and acting into her already vivid musical storytelling. Every movement on stage was deliberate, it even veered into the performing arts territory which on its own is something refreshing but when backed up with her jazz fusion made it that bit more intriguing. She stepped back from playing the bass as much as usual but when she did pick it up we were reminded of just what a force she is.

Throughout the set the backing singers where very much involved and on “Funk the Fear” they took to centre stage and began their own dance routine, then disappeared from the stage, only to reappear a moment later in the crowd, walking through the somewhat modest audience and continued to dance as Spalding was in the middle of a jam with her incredible band, drummer Karriem Riggins and guitarist Matthew Stevens.

Anyone expecting to hear songs from her previous albums were to be disappointed as the show was titled Esperanza Spalding presents: Emily’s D+Evolution and that’s exactly what we got.

This was a feast of jazz and art all rolled into one, a concept album brought to life and a refreshingly raw experience at that. It’s exciting to see acts throw caution to the wind and take new directions and Spalding certainly jumped in with both feet with this one and it’s that conviction that helped pull it off.

3.07.16 – den Atelier

The night belongs to Patti Smith

Rockhal welcomed one of the most iconic singer songwriter, poet & artists of her generation in Patti Smith on Saturday night, as she celebrated the 40th anniversary of her seminal debut album “Horses”.

Affectionately known as the godmother of punk, Smith’s iconic debut album has sat upon the shelves of generations of punks, writers, rockers & artists, she is the artist for the artists and as influential as they come, with “Horses” turning 40 it was only fitting to present it in all its glory and tour the album in full.

Earlier in the day Smith joined in the celebration of another anniversary, the 10th birthday party of the MUDAM where she was introduced to the Duke, along with Mr Bettel as she performed an intimate 15-minute performance in the foyer.

At night however she was joined by her band and ready to rock out as they launched into “Gloria” with Smith still as energetic as ever, stirring the intense emotions of grief, love loss and longing like it was 1975 all over again, she has lost none of the attitude that set her apart even then.

It’s quite special to see such an album performed from start to finish with still so much guile and vigour with Smith’s vocals coming across rich and powerful, even when she had her beat poet moment on “Birdsong” her spirit still drove the song with her effortless cool.

The punk attitude is still there in abundance, as visible on “Land” as the momentum built slowly you could see the music still flows through her veins as she shouted “C’mon f*****s” then spat on the stage before jumping around, whipping her jacket off getting the crowd going in the process, the godmother of punk isn’t going away quietly, just how we want it. Earlier in the day Smith talked of how you should “never lose your love for life, never slow down”, it’s good to see she heeds her own advice.

With an artist of such distinction comes much adulation and when an audience member cried out “I love you Patti” she stopped looked over in the direction of the cry and with the driest of wits just spoke out “get in line” which drew laughter from all in the Rockhal.

She finished “Horses” on the poignant “Elegie” which was written as a tribute to Jimi Hendrix but she turned it into a moment for everyone who has ever lost someone close to them and then proceeded to do a depressing roll call of musicians we’ve lost over the years from Janis Joplin to the Ramones, Ornette Coleman, Amy Winehouse, Lou Reed, David Bowie & Prince.

With “Horses” finished they took on some covers as Smith left the stage for a while allowing the band to take their moment in the spotlight doing a Velvet Underground medley before Smith returned to the Prince song “When Doves Cry”.

Smith began to talk of her trip to the MUDAM once more and how it’s a wonderful space for reflection, she was full of admiration of the gallery so dedicated “Because the Night” to it.

It’s heart-warming to see the love for “Horses” 40 years on from its release, I’m convinced if this record was released today it would still sound fresh and exciting, which just shows how ahead of her time she was.

2.07.16 – Rockhal

Steve Vai the guitar guy

It has been quite the week for guitar virtuoso fans of Luxembourg, first up it was Joe Satriani at the weekend and last night it was the turn of his old time student, Steve Vai who took to the stage at den Atelier.

Known as one of the greatest guitarists of all time, Vai is currently touring his landmark album “Passion & Warfare” which is regarded as one of the most important rock instrumental albums ever released.

Although Passion & Warfare was his second solo album Vai had already spent years learning from the likes of Frank Zappa & Whitesnake both of which he toured with, as well as being a pupil of Satriani’s.

Now 25 years on from “Passion & Warfare” he felt it was the right time to finally tour the album from start to finish, after a few other classic Vai tracks had warmed us up first.

As the lights dimmed and the screen behind the stage began to play an extract from the 80s guitar film “Crossroads”, a hooded Vai took to the stage with lasers coming from neon green glasses with a blue neon fret board, it was quite a fitting entrance for the man they call the “master of the space age guitar”.

He kicked into “Bad Horsie” with all the verve and gusto that we’ve come to expect from the likes of Vai, his fingers running up and down the neck of the guitar at incredible speed, making sounds that only few can conjure.

Vai ditched the neon look as he took us on a journey through some of his favourites from “The Crying Machine” and “Gravity Storm” before the searing atmospheric sounds of “Whispering a Prayer”.

By this point Vai hadn’t muttered a word to the crowd but once he started he was full of nostalgia for the crazy hair and videos of the 80s & 90s. Having already played 45 minutes, some acts would be finishing up but they were just getting started.

Vai mentioned he hadn’t toured this album before because he’d never had the right band until now, however true that is he certainly has an incredible band now. With an exceptional rhythm section in Philip Bynoe on bass and Jeremy Colson on drums giving us the funk when required, leaving the unenviable task of keeping up with Vai to guitarist Dave Weiner.

The opener “Liberty” showed old footage of Vai playing along with Brian May on the screen and it wouldn’t be the last time Vai jammed with an old guitar legend, as the night progressed Joe Satriani & John Petrucci would appear on pre-recorded videos to jam on “Answers” & “The Audience is Listening” respectively. The wizardry and tricks Vai pulled off never let up all evening, with one searing solo after another, who needs vocals when your guitar can do all the talking.

As the album came to its conclusion I thought that would be that, but not Vai, they delved into an old Zappa track “Stevie’s Spankings” before the “Build a Song” segment where he invited two members of the audience to hum rhythm and guitar melodies that are then transformed into songs on the spot from the incredible band.

At over two and a half hours there was surely plenty for all the Vai fans to feel they got their monies worth and with the new album “Modern Primitive” released just days ago he’ll no doubt be back again soon.

29.06.16 – den Atelier

Beck – Still as fun and exciting as ever

With festival season upon us, Luxembourg gears up for its fair share of bands passing through and Beck is one such act. Rockhal hosted his first European show of the year last night and surprisingly his first ever in the Grand Duchy.

It has been 22 years since Beck became a reluctant spokesman for generation X with his surprise slacker-hit “Loser”. He was never comfortable being pigeonholed so early on in his career and as a result has continued to blur the lines of genres whilst blazing a path for others to follow.

Over recent years he has continued to push boundaries with laudably creative albums bringing together everything from electro rap, country, folk and alt rock and although his popularity may have dwindled a bit recently, 2014’s “Morning Phase” changed all that, drawing universal critical acclaim, winning three Grammys leading in turn to an encounter with who else but Kayne West.

He took to the stage sporting a fine fedora hat and looking as young as ever, then wasted no time in getting into the stomping “Devils Haircut”. It was good to see that over 20 years in the business and Beck has lost none of his enthusiasm or charisma, not to mention some of those dance moves. Backed by his 6-piece band, including electric guitars, synths and percussion, the sound was thunderously full and dynamic all evening.

The set ebbed and flowed through his albums from the acoustic delights of “Lost Cause”, “Blue Moon” & “Say Goodbye” which were expertly accompanied by the band, before delving back into high-octane “New Pollution” which had the crowd dancing along with Beck to some funk grooves.

There was an outing for “Dreams” which again shows he’s still sounding as fresh as ever, bringing with it a fun sense of swagger as he brought together his hip hop folk roots once more. Unfortunately for those hoping to hear more from the forthcoming album, there were no more teasers of what to expect but if “Dreams” is anything to go by, it will be worth the wait.

The encore brought the only mass sing along with his breakout hit “Loser” bringing the Rockhal crowd together as one to belt out the chorus before “Where it’s at” left the audience dancing away to his funk.

It seems that the success of “Morning Phase” has given Beck a new creative spark and with the new album coming later in the year, he shows no signs of slowing down just yet, which should come as welcome news to any music fan out there.

15.06.16 – Rockhal

Destroyer – A joyous celebration of sound

20 years on from their debut album, Destroyer finally made their way to Luxembourg for the first time last night to play Rockhal.

Fronted by Dan Bejar, Destroyer have been on a long and arduous journey since the release of their debut back in 96. Having received plenty of critical acclaim for many of their 10 studio albums, including last year’s “Poison Season” they found it hard to break out to a wider audience.

That was until they finally built on their core following, with their 2011 album “Kaputt” which opened them up to a whole new audience, finding themselves on national TV shows in America for the first time. This success allowed them to become more ambitious on the new record, taking on new elements to their sound.

Support for last night came from American singer-songwriter Ryley Walker who evoked the sounds of the late 60s jazz folk scene, immediately drawing comparisons to the likes of Bert Jansch and John Martyn with his vocal delivery as well as guitar style for a fully accomplished set.

As Destroyer made their way to the stage in an unassuming manner with the house music still playing and just a polite clap from the modest crowd, it’s safe to say that they remain a niche band within Luxembourg.

As frontman Dan Bejar took up his spot centre stage, he was flanked by the 7-piece band although it was evident that our eyes would be drawn to him all night. He used the mic stand as a cane and swayed his body, with his eyes closed most of the time, immersed in the sound as they kicked into “Bangkok” with Bejar taking up an almost crooner style of delivery and pose.

Their sound came across more vibrant and energetic live, accompanied by trumpet and saxophone which sat on top of the driving keys and guitars on “Chinatown”.

With “Kaputt” the cascading guitar riff was punctuated by the soaring trumpet and sax as the dense swell of melody built. The funk groove of “Midnight Meet the Rain” had the sparse audience shuffling on the spot as the sheer joy and exuberance created from the stage filtered its way into the crowd.

The spaced out effects of the warm synths built on “Bay of Pigs” before allowing the rest of the band to return once more in a joyous celebration of sound before finishing on the surprisingly jaunty “Hell”, once more the trumpet and sax created the soundscape for everything else to wrap its warmth around.

It was a shame that a performance like this, with with 8 musicians on stage majestically interweaving their sound, somewhere between rock and symphony, with the set bound by Bejar’s poetic direction was appreciated by so few, when just a few nights’ prior in the same building a performer ran about a huge stage singing to a backing track in front of thousands. I know you shouldn’t compare but sometimes it’s hard not to on nights like last.

14.06.16 – Rockhal

Chris Brown – One Hell of a Nite Tour

Rockhal welcomed one of the biggest pop-oriented, hip hop stars on the globe to Luxembourg for the first time on Sunday night.

Having released his first album back in 2005, it’s easy to forget that Chris Brown is only 27. His latest album “Royalty”, released at the back end of last year has become one of his most commercially successful in recent years and with no time to waste he announced the track listing of his eighth studio album “Heartbreak on a Full Moon” to be released in the coming months.

However, with all the top 10 hits, we sometimes forget he’s a musician as he manages to find himself in the gossip magazines as much as the music ones, with his less than desirable past. Putting all his personal issues aside, he is still a Grammy award winning, multi platinum selling artist with legions of fans across the globe.

Even though this was his first show in Luxembourg, his fans were left to wait that bit longer. 20 minutes after his stage time had come and gone and still waiting for the final support act August Alsina, we were told Alsina’s slot was cancelled and Brown would be on stage in 10 minutes. A further 20 minutes later the lights dimmed and the tense waiting turned into excited screams.

Brown took to the stage as any self-respecting pop star should, from a contraption rising from beneath the stage. As the screams hit fever pitch he kicked into “Fine by Me”, flanked by dancers he instantly made use of the huge v-shaped ego stage that sprawled out into the crowd.

With no live band it was left to Brown it sing over backing tracks, although it seemed he was more concentrated on his dancing and the odd hip thrust to get the young girls screaming than much else.

Over the years Brown has been marketed as a bad boy hip hop artist but seeing him live reaffirmed his pop credentials, with his choreographed dance moves and changes of clothing every other song, he still has his roots firmly in the pop world where he launched his career over a decade ago.

The Michael Jackson comparisons are a flattering one but you can understand why, especially with several nods to the King of Pop, particularly on the “Human Nature” sampled “She Ain’t You”.

After a couple of songs Brown acknowledged his tardiness and apologised saying he wanted to make sure everything was right for his fans before making it to the stage but by this point none of his fans seemed to care, they seemed to be caught up in the club fillers with the driving bass of “Love More” taking it up a notch.

After a couple of slower tracks from “Take Me Down” to “Don’t Judge Me” he was back to his dance routines once more, taking the second half of the night into the party zone, with pyrotechnics on “Paradise” accompanied by some more EDM hooks. The slowed down synth hook of Robin S’ house classic “Show Me Love” from the early 90s gave Brown’s “Show Me” the desired effect but reminded you how much you’d rather being hearing the original.

Brown was to finish up on the floor fillers, “Ayo” & “Loyal”, which had plenty in the crowd dancing away into the late Sunday evening as flames rose up from the stage and sparks fell from above, it was an impressive spectacle to finish on.

Seeing as this is a full European tour, I expected Brown to have been backed by a live band, or at least someone working the decks to give it more of a live experience, instead we just had Brown running around dancing and singing over backing tracks, it wasn’t the kind of performance that wins you new fans.

12.06.16 – Rockhal