Long before Destiny's Child and 702, we had TLC, Total and SWV.
When I found out that they were coming to town for a few nights, I was unsure whether if I wanted to go. Being an 80's baby, 90's Kid, I grew up listening to 90's R&B and I still stand and say that the era was the turning point of R&B. I remember being, like, 8years old, watching my sister and her friends getting ready to go out. I would sit on the end of her bed while she got glammed up with Mary Jane girls and Jodeci playing in the background. Not forgetting the times when my brother would have a party in the house and I wouldn’t be allowed to join in the fun, yet watch from the top of the stairs... yeah, good times!
I didn't want to taint the fond memories that their music brought, but SWV knew that had to bring the heat, and they put that Ingid02 on FIRE!
Courtesy of Chris Philips, I anxiously, I sat with him and my girl from Choice FM (shout out to my girl Zorica! Check her views on the concert on her blog waiting for one of the greatest girl groups of the 90's to grace the stage.
The were welcomed with a roar of applause from eager, loyal fans as they entered and were very thankful for each and every person that came out to support them after 18years.
Now obviously, they didn't come out in their tight PVC attire the big hoop earrings that they are remembered for, nonetheless they looked stunning in their sequined leggings and flattering cat suits!
Bearing in mind, it has been 18years and women’s body fluxuates in a matter of weeks; they still looked good- you can’t expect everyone to be able to stay the same size they were almost two decades ago!
They opened the show with their debut track from 1992 Right Here. Which lead them to one have one of the longest running number-one R&B singles of 1993.
The performance of their 2nd song So Into You automatically had the audience on their feet providing an aura of a 9o's party. Everybody with seated tickets was out of their seats, out of their rows, in the isles, whippin' their hair along with Lelee, grown women screaming and reminiscing on their throwback days. The way they interacted with the audience was impeccable
One of the highlights of the show was when they selected genuine members from the audience and asked to join them on stage.
A particular young guy was celebrating his birthday, gushingly, he took centre stage and was serenaded an SWV special of Happy Birthday.
Unknowingly, sitting behind me was Vula. Vula opened up for Musiq SoulChild when I reviewed his gig here, and was also selected to be on stage with the girls and sing Weak.
Getting as much love as the act, the three fans made us cheer, laugh, singing along and loving every minute.
They performed all of their biggest hits and Coko also did a LaBelle cover of If Only You Knew How Much I Loved You which crowned her as a young Pattie.
Shows like these don’t always go according to time, especially when the host keeps bringing the
acts back on stage - Not that I’m complaining now! But Faith Evans appeared (just as my battery decided to take a chill pill), and kept the show moving!
She too, thanked her loyal fans for their continuing support, standing in the crowd with 'I Love Faith' T-shirts, and said he was surprised to come to London because she was unsure that people remembered who she was.
She soon reminded them that the Grammy Award winner deserved her title as she performed tracks like You Gets No Love, Can't Believe, As Soon As I Get Hone, Love Like This Before and a funk version of Burning Up. Oh yes, she went to TOWN on that song! Throwing her towel down in passion-She worked the stage until her clothes were literally drenched in sweat!
My favourite performance from her was Never Let You Go. She delivered that song with so much emotion, on her couching-tiger-hidden-dragon ishk! Excuse my language, but this girl SAAAANG from the crack of her ass with that tune! Her adlibs were on point, her stage presence was précis and you would feel every word she was singing was from raw unadulterated emotion. It’s a shame my battery conked out before I could capture it, because that too, was one of the highlights of the show.
Faith Evans is an artist that has no shame about the negativity that comes her way, being in the industry. Her relationship with Biggie was depicted in the Notorious Film and she was highly blamed for her husbands’ unresolved drive-by death and her involvement in the EastCoast-WestCoast rap rivalry. As most artists do, they project their pain. When she sang Again, she gives all her praises to God for everything that she has been through and she wouldn’t change a thing.
That to me was the most touching part of the concert. I sat back on my chair and allowed myself to be taken into the lyrics that were being sung.
"In ATL I caught a case
And the media tried to say
I had a habit
I couldn’t manage
and I am throwing my life away .....
If I had to do it all again
I wouldn’t take away the rain Cuz I know it made me who I am
If I had to do it all again
I’ve learn so much from my mistakes that’s how I know He's watching me"
Because of these reasons, I would have to quote Faith Evans and SWV as having the best concert that i've seen this year.
Shout out to Chris Philips for sharing his tickets with me, so much love!
No comments:
Post a Comment