LITTLE MIX / JESSARAE | LIVE REVIEW
Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, Mon 30 Oct
You’d think they’d planned it this way. One of the UK’s biggest groups, Little Mix bring the Glory Days tour to Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena during half term, ensuring a massive crowd gets to line Simon Cowell’s pockets some more. Rising singer songwriter Jessarae, who’s due to embark on his own solo tour in 2018, gets the job of warming the crowd up and he does a solid job. Clearly waiting for the main event, the crowd can’t help but get involved as he urges them to join in at any opportunity. His cover of Drake’s One Dance being a particular triumph, 2018 could be a big year for Jessarae.
Thirsty for more, the young, eager crowd chant for their heroes. Bursting on to the stage, almost literally, the Little Mix girls smash straight into one of this year’s big hits Power flanked by several backing dancers. There’s enough video screen and pyro in action here tonight to give KISS a run for their money: it’s an impressive sight to behold, as the girls deliver a set of wall to wall hits.
They delve into the archives – well, four years ago – to play Move and Salute while the quartet work every inch of the venue, making sure that nobody is standing still. They utilise a staircase/platform which reaches out into the arena, giving Perrie, Jesy, Leigh-Anne and Jade a chance to get a bit more acquainted with the crowd.
There’s no two ways about it, this is pop music at its best. Touch, from last year’s Glory Days, is played before the band take the stairs over the crowd once more for Secret Love Song. The lights go down and it’s flashing bunny ears and glowstick central as the video screen urges the crowd to scream for more. More trickery follows as the girls emerge from beneath the stage to a rousing encore of Shout Out To My Ex. I wasn’t a Little Mix fan going into this concert and I’m still not, yet anyone in attendance tonight will agree that we have all been utterly entertained tonight.
words CHRIS ANDREWS
