After a busy day in West London, public transport bringing out the claustrophobia in everyone and becoming dependant on the ever so unreliable ‘Tube App’ on my iPhone, I was most definitely not feeling “sexy and free” as Jessie J so famously sings in her hit, ‘Domino’. However, a chance to watch the superstar rock the stage for Vitamin Water at The Roundhouse in Camden, courtesy of Amaru Don TV, was most definitely not something I would refuse to do. No matter how suffocating the tube journey would be.
The intimate venue, whose stage has held such legends as Jimi Hendrix and The Rolling Stones, saw Jessie J perform to some of her most dedicated fans; as well as performances from her supporting acts – Mr.Hudson and The Special K’s (no, i am not referring to the cereal).
Whilst Jessie took her sweet time to slip into her sparkly number, Mr.Hudson spun everything from Kanye West and Jay-Z to the late Amy Winehouse, and five-piece electro/pop band The Special Ks performed some of their very ‘Super Mario’-esque tracks. Dedicating one number to the ladies in the audience, ‘Evil Woman’. Careful, boys.
With a star-packed audience featuring the likes of Chipmunk, ‘Made In Chelsea’ star Amber Atherton and a handful of GB Olympic athletes, Jessie J finally graced the stage with an explosive introduction to her show. Jumping around to her opening song, ‘Do It Like A Dude’ in her pretty, pink Nike’s. Just as the opening line from the song reads, she really had arrived, and the talent she displayed throughout the performance confirmed an already known fact; it will be a long while until she would ever become irrelevant in British music. The singer mixed her own rendition of ‘N****s In Paris’ into the equation, which of course left the audience in good spirits for her next song.
The night was incredible, witnessing the singer include her band and audience into the show made the experience seem more intimate and friendly. She made sure that everyone felt involved in the performance. ‘One Love’ and ‘Never Too Much’ were just some of the renditions that she did justice to, calling the latter track her favourite section of the night as it was the “dancing section”. Her cover of ‘Climax’ was somewhat dream-like, making the song her own is an understatement. The high notes were reached at such ease and she left the whole crowd in awe of herself.
Before bringing in her well-known song ‘Who You Are’ , Jessie took the time to thank her fans for “accepting me as me”. As well as revealing the pressure she has felt whilst working on her new album, due to the success of her debut LP. “I’ve learnt a lot about myself, especially in the last two years” she said, then continuing to talk about how she would watch UK artists such as VV Brown on stage, dreaming that one day it could be her up there.
Overall the night was fantastic, I have never witnessed so many people letting go of themselves and having a good time at a concert before. Strangers danced with strangers, sexual preferences were not an issue in the venue and it was enjoyable to witness such a diverse audience come together to enjoy something they all found common ground in, their love for Jessie J.
I went into the venue only knowing a few songs by the artist, still admiring her success and respecting her work ethic, however not really engaged enough with the singer to call myself a fan. I can most definitely say that I left the concert with the desire to buy her album, posters and merchandise, and it was most definitely not down to the free ‘Vitamin Water’ cocktails.
Here’s the tracklist for the night:
Do It Like A Dude x N****s In Paris
Who’s Laughing Now
Rainbow
Stand Up
Casualty
Climax
Never Too Much
Abracadabra
Nobody’s Perfect
Who You Are
Mama Knows Best
Price Tag
Laserlight
Domino
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