I absolutely adore music and going to concerts; seeing some of my favourite artists perform live as well as going to see others whose music, whilst I like and listen to, I haven’t known much else about them.
Over the years, I’ve lost count as to how many gigs I have attended and I no longer keep a note of the money I have paid out on tickets, but there is just something about a concert and being completely immersed in the music and lights and dancing that I love.
I have been to the intimate venues, where the artist sees you singing from your spot on the front row and they reach out to shake your hand (Jimmy Osmond); I have attended the arena gigs, where it gets hot real fast inside the space and there’s that slight risk that you’ll get hit in the face with a wad of ticker tape (Take That, I’m looking at you!); and I have battled with the weather going to stadium tours, where you can stand in the midst of 80,000 people and just listen to everyone singing the lyrics back to the artist as they stand and watch in awe. It’s a buzz – the goose bumps and a tingle down the spine and the joy that comes when you’re a part of something so special.
But when you travel to another country and the weather is absolutely on your side as you’re preparing to see American superstar P!nk at Wembley Stadium? It’s even better.
The crowd were on their feet from the beginning as the opening notes of ‘Get This Party Started’ boomed around the stadium and what a start to a memorable two hours. As soon as P!nk appeared, her stage presence was captivating. The woman was literally swinging from a giant chandelier for the first track as she sang live and note perfect. She made it look so easy, but there is absolutely no doubt as to how hard she and her team have worked on this tour and it shows. The choreography, the aerial acrobatics, the band, the vocals… It was outstanding.
Now, I’m well aware that I have used quite a few superlatives already (and that’s one thing I don’t like to do), but it’s pretty difficult to write a review about P!nk’s gig and not use superlatives.
Hit after hit followed including ‘Beautiful Trauma’, ‘Just Like A Pill’, ‘Funhouse’ and ‘Just Give Me A Reason’ and ‘What About Us’.
I loved her choice of songs for the show – although I doubt she could make a bad choice for her setlist – but with a mix of her older catalogue and her newer material, it was clear to see just how timeless her music is. Some of those tracks were 16 or 17 years old and you wouldn’t have thought that was the case. They still sounded fresh and relevant, and the crowd, even after all this time, were still able to enthusiastically sing along. Word perfect. Every single time.
When she wasn’t flying around the stage, P!nk could be found effortlessly dancing away with her backing dancers to some very technical-looking choreography. ‘Hustle’ was a fabulous example of this, but no matter where you looked, it seemed like P!nk and her crew were having the time of their lives, and the genuine respect and trust they have in each other was evident and really sweet to watch.
She then toned the show back and with just a guitar, showed the true range of her vocal abilities by belting out a perfect and emotional version of Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Time After Time’ and her own single from earlier this year ‘Walk Me Home’. P!nk then took a few heart-warming minutes to go down into the crowd to chat to her fans, take selfies, sign autographs and even received a few gifts. I think she loved it even more than the fans!
‘Perfect’ is one of my favourite P!nk tracks and I was delighted to discover it had been included for this tour. Over the years, this is one song I will play over and over again if I’m having a tough day or if I’m starting to feel like I’m not good enough. It is an absolute anthem, but there’s also an important message to be found within the lyrics. I, alongside the rest of Wembley Stadium, joined in with the singing as loud as I could, but around halfway through the song, I suddenly choked up and just listened to the roar of the crowd as P!nk sang from her heart. Her sincerity and belief in what she sang was striking.
‘Raise Your Glass’, ‘Blow Me (One Last Kiss)’, and ‘Can We Pretend’ ensured the concert finished in a full-on party mood before she returned for ‘So What’ when she flew above the entire crowd on high wires at terrifying speeds and her vocals didn’t falter once. I genuinely don’t know how she does it.
With her feet safely back on stage, however, P!nk disappeared backstage and re-emerged moments later for the final performance of the night when she treated the fans to a flawless, acoustic version of her 2010 ballad ‘Glitter In The Air’.
P!nk is one of the most talented artists I’ve ever been to see in concert and I am thrilled I got the chance to attend one of her gigs. I just hope the opportunity arises again in the future!
P!nk performed at London’s Wembley Stadium on Saturday 29 June and Sunday 30 June, 2019, as part of her Beautiful Trauma tour. Her support acts were Vance Joy, Bang Bang Romeo and KidCutUp.