Three Gigs, Three Cities, Three Weeks
where i've been #25: it is the magic number after all
In the midst of the whirlwind that is my master’s degree, I’ve been lucky enough to attend three excellent gigs in three different cities over the last three weeks.
JADE, O2 City Hall, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
The first of three gigs saw former Little Mix star JADE take centre stage on her debut solo tour at Newcastle’s historic City Hall.
With this being one of the homecoming shows, there were plenty of references to mine and JADE’s hometown, South Shields. She invited her niece, Amara, to sing ‘Before You Break My Heart’ on-stage with her, gave a speech crediting her love of music to her upbringing and revealed that the show’s narrator was the town’s theatre legend Ray Spencer MBE.
Despite the small setting, JADE put on a huge performance, with various elaborate costumes, sets and lighting. Her vocals were immaculate, whether she was singing the high-tempo bangers or the slower ballads. Me and my friends had the time of our lives.
HAIM, Co-op Live, Manchester
Off to the North West for the second gig as I saw three-piece rock band HAIM at the Co-op Live, Manchester’s newest music venue.
The facilities at the Co-op felt rather futuristic (or maybe dystopian). The bar was a refillable drinks station, where you pay £9 on entry and fill up whatever drink you want. If your drink costs more or less than £9, the charge on your card will change in the following days. I have absolutely no idea how they’d know what you bought, but it didn’t matter as I paid the full whack for a singular pint.
HAIM were truly fantastic. Me and my friend had seen them a couple of years ago, so we knew they’d be good. We just weren’t expecting them to be that good! Loud, energetic and full of charisma - singing along to the three sisters was completely cathartic.
Joy Crookes, O2 Academy, Leeds
I’m surprised I managed to make it to the last gig, as I’d spent most of the week battling flu. However, I had wanted to see Joy Crookes since discovering her debut album, so I threw myself onto the TransPennine and headed down to Leeds.
Before the gig, I met up with two friends in the Northern Market, an underground trendy food court with plenty of food and drink choices. I drank a really nice cider, which was discounted with my concert ticket!
Joy was brilliant. Her neo-soul sound required simple but effective staging, with complimentary lighting shining on the singer and her supporting band. She played a mix of her new album, older singles and a cover of Sinead O’Connor, but the crowd came alive for the hits from her first album. It was a great end to my series of gigs!