The opening night of Blue’s Greatest Hits tour transported me right back to the beginning of noughties boyband mania – and some fans became so overwhelmed staff had to calm them down.
Blue kicked off their UK tour with a night at Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall – a fitting tribute, seeing as the gathered hordes brought to mind Beatlemania 2.0. Even before Duncan James, Simon Webbe, Antony Costa and Lee Ryan took to the stage, there were chants of the lads’ names and fans craning their necks to attempt a glimpse backstage.
I attended the gig knowing the hits but shaky on the verses of some of Blue’s lesser known tracks. I needn’t have worried, though, as the performance the boys put on was immense. Lee’s vocals in their ballad Breathe Easy had me knocked back on my feet – as he admitted he nearly “wees” himself while hitting those devastating high notes.
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The quartet were full of cheeky exchanges that had the swooning audience even more frenzied, and Lee’s cheeky weeing admission saw him joke: “When I hit the high notes, a little bit comes out – it comes with age.”
(Image: Corbis via Getty Images)
Duncan suggested he try Tena pads, as Lee insisted a mysterious stain on his trousers was “just water”, adding: “Blue have been around for a very long time – we’re very old. Hence the weeing myself!”
It was clear that the combination of the band’s dulcet harmonies and, erm, commanding stage presence was getting to some audience members. I watched, a little bemused, as one woman attempted to dash down the aisle to get a front-row view, only to be held back by an usher I can only assume was worried about fire hazards.
(Image: Jess Phillips)
At points the whoops around me were so loud I could barely hear the music. Someone fell over after craning on her tip-toes in stiletto heels in an attempt to capture Lee’s attention, while behind me there were chants of “Simon, Simon, Simon!”
Supporting the lads – who have been together for 24 years now – was singer-songwriter Max Rae, who proved to be the perfect hype-boost for impatient fans desperate for Blue to take to the stage. Her breakout hit Tattoo had fans on their feet, while a 90s medley – mixing up Spice Girls’ Wannabe and Backstreet Boys hit I Want it That Way – got us in the mood for Blue’s main setlist.
Speaking of kicking off for Blue, Max confessed: “I am so elated and honoured to be able to support Blue! I feel like I am just discovering their music and I’m so excited to have a better than a front row experience to see such a beloved act operate and perform!”
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Also in attendance were country rock band Diamonds and Whiskey, hailing from the States. As the North Carolina act belted out their biggest hit Walk Hard, you couldn’t help but get lost in the boot-stomping rhythm of a good show.
The gig got All Rise stuck in my head, introduced me to a few new artists and even to a couple of underrated Blue tracks, in a stunning city venue worthy of the stunning vocals.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
