With a show that sold out in next to no time, you were always assured that Beyonce’s opening gigs in the UK for the Mrs Carter World Tour were always going to be special in some way.
From opening with run the world to the last moments of Halo, the sold out LG Arena crowd were subjected to an amazing show by one of the world’s biggest stars. Performance wise she was faultless, even though she was suffering with a cold, and admitted early on that she wasn’t feeling her best, performing some of the biggest female anthems of the past decade seemed to help lift her.
Back in January at Obama’s inauguration, there was some speculation whether or not she “lip-syncd’d”. Not saying this was the case last night, but to the trained ear you could tell when/if she was (note the way I’m saying or not saying that she did). When you have a show, not a gig, the pyrotechnics, visual effects, and sound all become part of the full package. If Beyonce just did a sit-down acoustic gig, she could quite easily do that – the voice is evident. But with a show as complex as the Mrs Carter World Tour, some parts do need extra help. There’s not one person who witnessed the show last night, that would feel they were cheated in some way – Beyonce is the full package. I’ve seen Madonna back in 2005, and couldn’t help feeling that for all her huge success, her show lacked that something extra. Last night I finally worked out what Madonna lacked – Likability. Speaking as someone who wouldn’t class himself as a huge obsessive fan, I’ve a new found respect and can see why she is one of the biggest female stars on planet pop.
Only gripe I did have were the films between sets. Granted they were a necessity owing to the amount of costume changes (7 I think I counted), but they felt a bit too random – and yes, one of them was the O2 Priority “ad” that was running before the tickets went on sale.
From the moment it started, to the moment it finished, you hardly had chance to take breath. Previous to the LG appearances, she had a baby and headlined Glastonbury in 2011. What next for Mrs Carter, time will tell I’m sure, but I for one will be looking forward to that time.
SETLIST:
Run the World (Girls)
End of Time
Flaws and All
If I Were a Boy
Get Me Bodied
Baby Boy
Diva
Naughty Girl
Party
Freakum Dress
I Care
I Miss You
Schoolin’ Life
Why Don’t You Love Me
1+1
Irreplaceable
Love on Top
Survivor (Destiny’s Child cover)
Crazy in Love
Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
Grown Woman
I Will Always Love You (into)
Halo