BEYONCÉ | LIVE REVIEW
Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Thurs 30 June
What would you expect from one of the biggest music acts in the world? Pyrotechnics, costume changes and formation dances, or a giant obelisk/light-box/video screen? These and more were brought out for Beyoncé’s second UK tour date of her Formation world tour, at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
With the giant white box slowly revolving like something out of science fiction, Queen Bey came down to earth – she is clearly not like us – to visit her legion of adoring subjects (fans), who had come out in force on a typical Welsh summer’s evening.
The audience was there to worship their queen, and the atmosphere was electric, with some fans screaming at the mere glimpse of Beyoncé on the video screen before the show was anywhere near starting.
Most of the night was dedicated to the new album, Lemonade, featuring current radio favourite Hold Up, Sorry, Don’t Hurt Yourself and the country-tinged Daddy Lessons. With the album a cathartic process after her husband’s infidelity, a lot of the night was about (female) empowerment – starting the night by telling the audience to shout “I slay!” – and the audience oBEYed; asking if there were any queens present (there were!); and asking if there were any ‘Survivors’ in the audience; not to mention her statement that there is “no such thing as a weak woman” and the crowd pleasing Run The World (Girls) – the night was a powerhouse of fierceness.
As well as current songs there were old favourites – Crazy In Love; Me Myself And I; and even a old Destiny’s Child favourite, Survivor; and finishing with Halo while the crowd were in a frenzy. The only glaring omission was Single Ladies, made obvious by its absence. There was not much room for the audience to pause in their fervour, as the extensive setlist was run through at a breakneck pace; even the several impressively quick costume changes took place while recorded interlude tracks played. The music hardly stopped, which made her a capella rendition of Love On Top all the more effective.
As well as the costume changes and formation dance routines with her small army of female backup dancers, there featured a blistering guitar solo, at the start of Don’t Hurt Yourself – the track from Lemonade that features Jack White – and even a small pool of water in which some dance routines tool place towards the end of the night – so that’s why they were selling ponchos.
That voice, the stage presence – Queen Bey certainly slayed Cardiff!
words CHRIS WILLIAMS photos DANIEL VESCO/PARKWOOD ENTERTAINMENT/AP INVISION