Gig Review: X Factor Live - Wembley Arena ✭✭✭✭
X Factor Live
UK Tour
Wembley Arena
Friday 22nd Feb 2013: Thousands of screaming fans, a packed out arena, this can only mean one thing - the X Factor finallists are on the road and in town to play the biggest gig of their lives... so far!
A 7.30pm start time, you actually get 20 minutes of video commercials about the acts, a chance to text in and meet them, and then the lights go down and the show starts with a video montage of the X Factor opening sequence, Peter Dixon bellowing down the sound system telling us to prepare for 'The Night Of Your Life' and 'It's Time to Face The Music'... erm, OK.
The black curtain drops to reveal a set of video screens and a modest lighting rig, it's all that's needed to go along with the two-tiered set, treads that light up, and a vast array of pyrotechnics to introduce the foirst act - Rylan Clark, who dances his way onto stage to do a 'Gangnam Style' mash-up. The glitz and glamour of the TV show is brought to life on stage, with 8 dancers shimmying along.
Video sequences are used between act to introduce them, Union J up next for a song, 'When Love Takes Over', then onto Ella Henderson, who sang a cover of 'You've Got The Look', and then an original song from her first audition, 'Missed'. Ella's vocals sound great, a good powerful performance which couldn't be faulted.
Next up was District3, who entered through the arena and onto the stage, doing a mash-up of 'Beggin' and 'Turn Up the Music'. This led on to Christopher Maloney and his first appearance of the night with a nice rendition of 'All By Myself', then into a cheesey Elton John's 'I'm Still Standing'.
Jahmene Douglas sent his vocals soaring through 'At Last', followed by 'Let It Be', and then act one finished with the cheese-fest of Rylan 'mash-up' Clark again doing a Spice Girls mash-up.
Then its Mr Mash-Up yet again doing a Supremes medley this time, followed by Jahmene singing Robbie Wiliams' 'Angel's.
Finally, we get round to the winner, James Arthur - who is sounding good through Feeling Good and Power Of Love, ending on his single Impossible. James has a good stage presence, he looks comfortable up there in front of thousands, and his voice is remarkable, even if he does have a cold. A worthy winner all round.
An encore of all acts on stage for U2's 'Beautiful Day', and that's it really... just over 2 hours of X Factor acts singing away. Entertaining stuff all round, but to give it that extra edge, it would benefit hugely from a live band instead of backing tracks and dancers - after all, its all about the music isn't it?
4 stars ✭✭✭✭
Remaining Tour Dates
Sat 23rd - Wembley Arena London 2.30pm
Sat 23rd - Wembley Arena London 7.30pm
Mon 25th - The O2 Dublin 8pm
Tues 26th - The O2 Dublin 8pm
Weds 27th Odyssey Arena Belfast 8pm
Thurs 28th Odyssey Arena Belfast 8pm
