So this time last week I was preparing myself for a weekend of miserable essay writing and exam prep. I was a little behind on my philosophy paper so it was probably all for the best....however when the text came from my friend Matt asking if I wanted to go to a Justin Timberlake concert on Saturday - it's safe to say philosophy was at the back of my mind.
Apparently Matt's Swedish flatmate who had been planning to go with him had something of a panic and decided it would be smart to stay at home and work. Cue the girl with an unrealistic belief that she can leave her essay until the day before the deadline no problem (that'll be me).
The concert was Saturday 5th April at The Hydro in Glasgow. Everyone here at Uni is still pretty excited about the Hydro. It was built recently and only officially opened in September of last year (2013). More formally known as the SSE Hydro (so called after its main partner Scottish and Southern Energy plc.) it has a capacity of 13,000, sells awful chicken burgers but great cider.
JT's warm up act was, to my great surprise though I should have known better, a DJ. He played some decent tunes but the house lights were on and his favourite word was "motherfucking" which I would normally encourage had it not been for the ten years olds sat two rows in front of me.
At the end of his set the DJ, who to his credit did build excitement over Timberlake's imminent arrival, started walking around the seated area looking for some people to put in the VIP area. I told Matt to get his tits out but we was feeling insecure that day so suffice it to say we stayed in the gods throughout the concert.
8.30 struck and the house lights dimmed. The stadium roared and JT's angelic voice thrummed through the air.
I could ramble on forever going into the details of what happened that night, but I'm going to boil this down to the basics; going on the multitude of questions I was asked the next day:
1. YES. JT did dance. Yes he danced like a god on a rollerskates. YES he really is that good. My favourite part about the choreography was that he really involved the backing dancers and everyone (girls included) were dressed from head to toe in suave black tie. They looked fantastic and the dancing was fantastic. Everything I had dreamt it would be.
2. YES. JT can really sing. I think in this modern era of music it's true that artists pay less attention to honing their craft and more attention to the numbers. There was a golden age of consistently good music and sadly it isn't now. HOWEVER. That doesn't mean that we aren't, every now and again, presented with musical geniuses and great talent.
Beyonce's silent album release didn't impress me for the reason it impressed my friends. To me it was a clever marketing ploy. To them it was because she didn't care about the fame. That might have been the reason. But come on - it wasn't the main reason. Beyond her clever ploys Beyonce is a household name in music purely and simply because of her talent. She has worked hard over the years and has nurtured her voice so that she can release tracks that will blow stadiums sky high; and there are others like that (though not many to date). Justin Timberlake is one of these people - a household name. It's because he nurtured his voice. He took a gift and made it a talent and he was pitch perfect the whole was through.
His voice, as ever, was hauntingly, ethereally excellent and no studio recorded release will ever come close to the power I felt that night.
3. YES. JT covered the old classics. Senorita, Cry Me a River and Rock Your Body all featured alongside the more recent hits like SexyBack, Pusher Love Girl, Mirrors, Suit and Tie, Holy Grail and Tunnel Vision. Cry Me a River and SexyBack, incidentally, very ABSOLUTELY perfect. If I had to pay the same again just to see him perform those two...I would.
4. YES. The stage set up and graphic background were perfect. The whole thing had a distinct Bond theme, presumably to go along with the Suit & Tie. The graphics were stunning and really made the moment. I can't fully explain how wonderful they were, but if I can find a clip on my phone I'll try and put it up.
5. YES. The musicians were incredible. Backing singer and instrumentalists included, they were all top notch. JT quite admirably put his band at the front and centre every now and again and regularly had the backing singer singing up front with him 'N-Sync Style'. By way of introduction he called the act Justin Timberlake and the Tennessee Kids. Not just JT. Pop God. JT and friends. It was a lovely nod of the head to some superbly talented people. I was particularly impressed with the trumpeters and the more portly backing singer was really something special.
Justin Timberlake revived the big-band genre on Saturday, in a 30-song work of art.
The very essence of suave charm, Timberlake bantered with the audience (no hard feat in Glasgow), joking along with everyone in his attempt at a Scottish accent. Somewhere near the end of the concert, when the centre bar became a walkway, he held high a shot of tequila and toasted Glasgow ("the craziest city.")
"May we never go to hell", Timberlake called down the mic like a preacher, "But may we always be on our way."
Apparently Matt's Swedish flatmate who had been planning to go with him had something of a panic and decided it would be smart to stay at home and work. Cue the girl with an unrealistic belief that she can leave her essay until the day before the deadline no problem (that'll be me).
The concert was Saturday 5th April at The Hydro in Glasgow. Everyone here at Uni is still pretty excited about the Hydro. It was built recently and only officially opened in September of last year (2013). More formally known as the SSE Hydro (so called after its main partner Scottish and Southern Energy plc.) it has a capacity of 13,000, sells awful chicken burgers but great cider.
JT's warm up act was, to my great surprise though I should have known better, a DJ. He played some decent tunes but the house lights were on and his favourite word was "motherfucking" which I would normally encourage had it not been for the ten years olds sat two rows in front of me.
At the end of his set the DJ, who to his credit did build excitement over Timberlake's imminent arrival, started walking around the seated area looking for some people to put in the VIP area. I told Matt to get his tits out but we was feeling insecure that day so suffice it to say we stayed in the gods throughout the concert.
8.30 struck and the house lights dimmed. The stadium roared and JT's angelic voice thrummed through the air.
I could ramble on forever going into the details of what happened that night, but I'm going to boil this down to the basics; going on the multitude of questions I was asked the next day:
1. YES. JT did dance. Yes he danced like a god on a rollerskates. YES he really is that good. My favourite part about the choreography was that he really involved the backing dancers and everyone (girls included) were dressed from head to toe in suave black tie. They looked fantastic and the dancing was fantastic. Everything I had dreamt it would be.
2. YES. JT can really sing. I think in this modern era of music it's true that artists pay less attention to honing their craft and more attention to the numbers. There was a golden age of consistently good music and sadly it isn't now. HOWEVER. That doesn't mean that we aren't, every now and again, presented with musical geniuses and great talent.
Beyonce's silent album release didn't impress me for the reason it impressed my friends. To me it was a clever marketing ploy. To them it was because she didn't care about the fame. That might have been the reason. But come on - it wasn't the main reason. Beyond her clever ploys Beyonce is a household name in music purely and simply because of her talent. She has worked hard over the years and has nurtured her voice so that she can release tracks that will blow stadiums sky high; and there are others like that (though not many to date). Justin Timberlake is one of these people - a household name. It's because he nurtured his voice. He took a gift and made it a talent and he was pitch perfect the whole was through.
His voice, as ever, was hauntingly, ethereally excellent and no studio recorded release will ever come close to the power I felt that night.
3. YES. JT covered the old classics. Senorita, Cry Me a River and Rock Your Body all featured alongside the more recent hits like SexyBack, Pusher Love Girl, Mirrors, Suit and Tie, Holy Grail and Tunnel Vision. Cry Me a River and SexyBack, incidentally, very ABSOLUTELY perfect. If I had to pay the same again just to see him perform those two...I would.
4. YES. The stage set up and graphic background were perfect. The whole thing had a distinct Bond theme, presumably to go along with the Suit & Tie. The graphics were stunning and really made the moment. I can't fully explain how wonderful they were, but if I can find a clip on my phone I'll try and put it up.
5. YES. The musicians were incredible. Backing singer and instrumentalists included, they were all top notch. JT quite admirably put his band at the front and centre every now and again and regularly had the backing singer singing up front with him 'N-Sync Style'. By way of introduction he called the act Justin Timberlake and the Tennessee Kids. Not just JT. Pop God. JT and friends. It was a lovely nod of the head to some superbly talented people. I was particularly impressed with the trumpeters and the more portly backing singer was really something special.
Justin Timberlake revived the big-band genre on Saturday, in a 30-song work of art.
The very essence of suave charm, Timberlake bantered with the audience (no hard feat in Glasgow), joking along with everyone in his attempt at a Scottish accent. Somewhere near the end of the concert, when the centre bar became a walkway, he held high a shot of tequila and toasted Glasgow ("the craziest city.")
"May we never go to hell", Timberlake called down the mic like a preacher, "But may we always be on our way."