That'll do me from the Telegraph. :D

 

Thanks also for the Brilliant Come On review. Think they preferred Will's remastering to the original. :cheer:

EF Rating: 

4

Will Young is one of the most successful artists to come from a reality TV show. In 2002 he won the hearts of the nation during Pop Idol and walked away with the crown. As he fast approaches a decade in the music industry, Will has released five studio albums and sold over 8 million albums worldwide. Last night he performed his second sold-out date at London’s Shepherds Bush Empire.

One of the remarkable things about seeing Will Young live is that he’s grown so much in the 9 years since winning Pop Idol. When he first came out of the show he was known as a slightly cheeky chap with a soulful voice but over the years his warm personality and increasingly powerful voice has become his trademark. Last night both were in abundance as Will performed an 18 song set to a packed audience.

 

After being suitably warmed-up by Jodie Marie and Lawson, the audience screams started the minute the opening bars to Come On played. The band, and Will, entered the stage through a door that had been positioned in the centre before taking their respective places and removing their outdoor coats. An unusual entrance it certainly was but it was classic quirky Will.

 

The setlist for the evening was a combination of tracks from Echoes and some of Will's classics. The balance worked really well with his new dancier sound fitting in perfectly next to his classic pop hits. Of the newer tracks I Just Want A Lover was an early highlight with it's pulsating groove rippling through the audience as Will hit notes higher than we knew possible (although the tightness of his trousers could have provided some aid there). Throughout the track Will wiggled his hips to the beat and moved around the stage. Outsider provided a poignant moment as Will sat on stage infront of a TV screen singing the heartfelt ballad. The La Roux-like Personal Thunder provided another highlight with Will's voice sounding as magnificent as it ever has.

 

Early in the set Will performed an energetic version of his hit Your Game and bounded round the stage with impressive energy jumping up onto the platforms occupied by the various band members. There were some surprises in the setlise. Will revisited his early years with a reworked arrangement of Evergreen, a soulful rendition of Light My Fire and an atmospheric performance of You and I. He also threw in little-performed fan favourite Switch It On and of course now Will show would be complete without his signature hit Leave Right Now.

 

Our favourite moment came on the gorgeous Who Am I? which captivated the audience and called for silence as Will's tender vocal expressed the emotion behind the song. The moment was truly spine-tingling and was one of many instances that showcased how much Will has grown as a vocalist.

 

Throughout the set Will interacted with the audience through cheeky banter. At one point he revealed a woman in Newcastle left him speechless by shouting 'I'll smash your back doors in' whilst later in the show he asked the audience to buy him a pint so he could share one with us. His banter was funny and he really engaged the audience between songs.

 

The set ended with a long sing-intro to the band (to the tune of Hit The Road Jack) and a rousing rendition of recent hit Jealousy. In years to come the latter will become known as one of Will's greatest hits and it certainly had the audience singing and dancing.

 

Last night marked the third time we've seen Will perform live and we can safely say he continues to get better and better. With oodles of confidence, a warm stage persona and flawless vocals the show was something rather special. He may have come from Pop Idol but his output has been more consistent and interesting than the majority of UK performers. If last night's crowd reaction was anything to go by then Will should be around for at least another 10 years and we will be in the audience enjoying his incredible music.

 

Setlist

 

Come On

I Just Want A Lover

Hearts On Fire

Changes

Your Game

Light My Fire

Outsider

Silent Valentine

Losing Myself

Personal Thunder

Who Am I?

You and I

Switch It On

Leave Right Now

Running Up That Hill

Evergreen

Hit The Road Jack (band intros)

Jealousy

Thanks TT another great review :cheer:

He's getting much more respect in the reviews for this tour than he's ever had, about time too! :yahoo:

He's getting much more respect in the reviews for this tour than he's ever had, about time too! :yahoo:

 

and from the London reviewers that he's found harder to please in the past. :yahoo:

That's a fabulous review Gill! :dance:

 

Daily Star.

 

WILL YOUNG - SET LIST

 

"Will Young has become a bit of a national treasure"

 

 

MOST pop stars get underwear thrown at them, or pints of beer if they’re rubbish.

 

Will Young has bunches of roses.

 

That’s because, nearly a decade after he won our hearts as the Pop Idol underdog, Will has become a bit of a national treasure.

 

Hitting the stage with a troupe of bowler-hatted dancers, new songs Come On and Hearts On Fire had fans singing along with the same enthusiasm as for old standard Light My Fire.

 

Silent Valentine saw a confetti of love hearts descend onto the stage.

 

Big hits Leave Right Now and Evergreen were topped off with a cool cover of Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill.

 

With his arms full of flowers and to deafening applause, the showman joked: “I need a panic alarm in my pocket” – to protect him from crazy fans.

 

They are crazy with good reason, Will.

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/playlist/view/2...Young-Set-List/

The Times

 

"Echoes of an evergreen idol, the publics affection for the singer has not dimmed"

 

In the decade since his PI win, WY has sustained a career that should shame his Tv talent show successors. The 32 year olds fifth studio album Echoes, released in the Summer spawned one of this years stand out singles Jealousy and is on

The verge of going platinum. Moreover the publics affection for the self effacing singer has never dimmed. At the first of two shows at SBE every move that Young made was greeted with cheers abs every uptempo track accompanied by mass clapping. Women old enough to know better screamed at the singer between sings. When he knelt near the edge of the stage he was handed a bunch of flowers.

 

A slick show by an old pro summed up the evening. A theatrical start involved Youngs five piece band and three female singers stepping through a fake door in a frame. They came on in raincoats, quicky discarded and in the case of the three musicians, climbed on to the high platforms at the back. Young was last to arrive, in a mac and bowler hat under which he wore black jeans and a t shirt tight enough to shOw off his slim gym toned body. A trio of Echoes showcased the singers faintly dancer new musical direction and made for a fabulous start. During his current single Come In an infectiously funky I just want a Lover, and a slinky disco tinged Hearts on Fire the crowd downstairs were grooving and fans on the balcony were on their feet. Old hits Changes, YG and a jazzy LMF were rapturously received but far less fun.

 

Youngs banter was always entertaining- his mock horror when recalling a woman in Newcastle who threatened to "smash his back door in" was worthy of a man who moonlights as an actor and his slick choreorgraphed moves with his backing singers suggested that he may have been taking dancing lessons. However half an hour into a long run of ballads sent the show into a slump from which it was slow to recover.

 

LRN beautifully sung ended the main set on a high with a sigh. The encore began with Striking reworking of Kate Busshs RUTH and ended with Jealousy and fans back on their feet. In between Young sang his PI hit Evergreen to the delight of some and the dismay of others. Proving that not even a singer nearing a national treasure can keep everyone happy

Has this been posted?

 

Thanks to Iscagill.

 

REVIEW: Will Young at Plymouth Pavilions .Monday, November 28, 2011 Plymouth Herald

 

IT WAS clear this gig would be memorable from the moment the band and backing singers first entered the stage one-by-one all wearing Macs via a free standing black door set mid-stage, culminating in the arrival of Will Young.

 

As the band launched into the introduction of forthcoming single "Come On" Will whipped off his Mac and beckoned the crowd to their feet which is where many remained during the 90 minute set. The show featured the bulk of Will's hit singles and showcased a selection from his latest album "Echoes".

 

​APPEAL: Will Young performs at Plymouth Pavilions

.After commendable deliveries of new tracks "I Just Want a Lover" and "Hearts on Fire", there were performances of "Changes", "Your Game" and "Light My Fire" from his back catalogue. As his he reeled off the older hits you remember just how many tracks the singer has had. Will's talent, like Will, is understated and modest and as he spoke to the audience during the breaks in the songs his sincerity shone through.

 

It's of no surprise he, and his distinctive set of pipes, have stayed in the spotlight for so long. The cheeky boy-next-door appeal makes him instantly likeable and with the anyone's-mum-would-like-him thing he's got going on, it makes it easy to relax in front of him and thoroughly enjoy anything he brings to the show.

 

Halfway through the gig, the ceiling above Will opened and released a cascading shower of red confetti that descended down onto the stage and covered the singer, a similar image to his victory in the Pop Idol competition in 2002.

 

However as his performance proved, a decade into his career, he has developed into one of pop's most admirable assets.

 

After changing into his trademark hat, drain-pipe black jeans and braces he sang "Leave Right Now" before returning for his encore singing his first hit after the reality show, "Evergreen", which had changed and evolved into a spellbinding, touching ballad, showing off Will's growing maturity as an artist.

 

There was then a clever "introducing the band" segment in the form of "Hit the Road Jack", complete with lyrical improvisation that had the crowd roaring with laughter.

 

The show was simple but effective and all round very classy, showing his great respect for music and performance. As the band and backing singers made their way back out through the original black door with Will leaving last, many of his loyal audience - with an age range from 18 to 80 - wanted to join him. And who can blame them. Bravo, Will.

 

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/REVIEW-You...tail/story.html

Thanks for all the reviews :D

Thanks for the latest review TT, another good one. :D