July 2, 201213 yr Published on Monday 2 July 2012 16:28 Fame is temporary, class is permanent. From Michelle McManus to Leon Jackson, the list of talent show winners to have crashed and burned since Will Young’s Pop Idol triumph is a long one. More than 10 years since beating Gareth Gates to the crown, the 33-year-old has grown into a firmly established and respected star - as evidenced by a bucketload of hits and a string of awards, along with this latest sold out gig. Supported by a five-piece band and three backing singers, it takes a spot of flirting with a male member of the audience a few songs in to break the ice and establish a proper rapport. “I think we’re connecting,” he tells the crowd which he hails as “the best audience we’ve had this summer” to loud cheers. While it’s easy to be cynical about such pandering, Young does seem to genuinely enjoy himself. His patter is top notch and that trademark huge grin is rarely off his face. Unshaven, casually dressed, and possessing an almost ridiculously relaxed stage presence - he sings several songs with his hands in his pockets - the impression given is of an artist completely at ease with himself. And the eclectic crowd demonstrates how far-reaching his appeal remains, and there’s screams from members of both sexes when he climbs up a ladder to change into one of the many T-shirts attached to the peculiar backdrop. The highlights are plentiful, with an energetic Switch It On, a soothing All Time Love, a show-stopping Leave Right Now and the two nods to his Pop Idol days, Light My Fire and Evergreen, showcasing his musical evolution. Many more reality TV “stars” are sure to come and go over the next decade but the smart money would be on Young outlasting them all. . http://www.thescarboroughnews.co.uk/lifest...rs-on-1-4701464
July 2, 201213 yr Fame is temporary, class is permanent. From Michelle McManus to Leon Jackson, the list of talent show winners to have crashed and burned since Will Young’s Pop Idol triumph is a long one. More than 10 years since beating Gareth Gates to the crown, the 33-year-old has grown into a firmly established and respected star - as evidenced by a bucketload of hits and a string of awards, along with this latest sold out gig. Supported by a five-piece band and three backing singers, it takes a spot of flirting with a male member of the audience a few songs in to break the ice and establish a proper rapport. “I think we’re connecting,” he tells the crowd which he hails as “the best audience we’ve had this summer” to loud cheers. While it’s easy to be cynical about such pandering, Young does seem to genuinely enjoy himself. His patter is top notch and that trademark huge grin is rarely off his face. Unshaven, casually dressed, and possessing an almost ridiculously relaxed stage presence - he sings several songs with his hands in his pockets - the impression given is of an artist completely at ease with himself. And the eclectic crowd demonstrates how far-reaching his appeal remains, and there’s screams from members of both sexes when he climbs up a ladder to change into one of the many T-shirts attached to the peculiar backdrop. The highlights are plentiful, with an energetic Switch It On, a soothing All Time Love, a show-stopping Leave Right Now and the two nods to his Pop Idol days, Light My Fire and Evergreen, showcasing his musical evolution. Many more reality TV “stars” are sure to come and go over the next decade but the smart money would be on Young outlasting them all. Great review. :dance: I particuarly like the bold bits. Thanks Sunday. :D
July 3, 201213 yr Review: Will Young, Dalby Forest 12:53pm Tuesday 3rd July 2012 in Music news and reviews By Charles Hutchinson CAN you believe that ten years have passed since Will Young’s first number one, Evergreen? The Pop Idol winner is still a pop idol, quickly selling out the 5,000-capacity Dalby Forest woodland clearing for Friday’s superbly well run Forestry Commission open-air concert. Young, or not so young as Will is now 33, is a thoroughly nice, polite and posh man who played to a thoroughly nice North Yorkshire audience of all ages, from wide-eyed children to dancing grannies. He is so well behaved that he even came on ten minutes early – not very rock’n’roll at all! What’s more, he charmed the rain clouds into not ruining the night, his array of pink, yellow and finally checked shirts providing the sunshine missing from the sky. As a novel backdrop, the stage wall was covered in lines of shirts and trousers, and while Will didn’t remove his trousers, he did twice clamber up his principal stage prop, a giant stairway, to peel of his shirt to whistles, and replace it with an even gaudier one. Oh, he’s a tease that Will Young, especially when chatting up a man in the crowd, who wanted to be his boyfriend. Will asked him to turn around and show him his bum…and dear old North Yorkshire took such campness in its stride. Then again, there is none of the edge to Will Young that darkened the pop pathway of Boy George and George Michael. He is a safer star, and at Dalby his gentle soul voice never had a hint of danger or grit, but polish and poise instead, on all the hits you would have expected, from Evergreen to I Just Want A Lover. A little more song-and-dance from showman Will would have been welcome but maybe he is saving that for his imminent role as Emcee in Cabaret. As the darkness descended, he re-emerged for his encore wrapped in luminous piping, a futuristic look out of keeping with his conservative soul music, but a shining finale all the same. http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/leisure/music/9...__Dalby_Forest/
July 3, 201213 yr Thanks Sunday, don't agree with some of what he said but it looks like he's an arts critic so maybe pop isn't his thing. Probably more interested in Will doing Cabaret.
July 3, 201213 yr Thanks Sunday. Then again, there is none of the edge to Will Young that darkened the pop pathway of Boy George and George Michael. He is a safer star, and at Dalby his gentle soul voice never had a hint of danger or grit, but polish and poise instead What is it with people that they have to keep comparing him with others and find him wanting :rolleyes: And pleeease - Boy George and George Michael - both the worst comparisons you can make. I saw a Tweet the other day that some chap said he dislikes Will because he's too nice, no rough edges. For pity's sake. Can't some singers just be different without having to 'conform' to a sterotype. Even Boy George called Will a "common or garden queer". <_< He treads his own path - he doesn't need to copy anyone else. Edited July 3, 201213 yr by munchkin
July 3, 201213 yr Thanks Sunday. What is it with people that they have to keep comparing him with others and find him wanting :rolleyes: And pleeease - Boy George and George Michael - both the worst comparisons you can make. I saw a Tweet the other day that some chap said he dislikes Will because he's too nice, no rough edges. For pity's sake. Can't some singers just be different without having to 'conform' to a sterotype. Even Boy George called Will a "common or garden queer". <_< He treads his own path - he doesn't need to copy anyone else. Exactly munchkin, he's unique and a one off, :wub: why the hell should Will be a karaoke version of someone else? you wouldn't ask Carrie Underwood to be a bit more edgier like Lady Gaga would you?:wacko:
July 9, 201212 yr home » festivals » Forest Tours » Will Young concerts in forests 2012 Will Young prompts a sea of arm-waving and chorus chanting in the forest Will Young in Delamere Forest 2012 review Monday 9th July 2012 With a backdrop of multi-coloured tees and trousers, reminiscent of a typical day doing inventory at People's Revolution, platinum-selling British singer-songwriter, Nerina Pallot took to the stage in casual yet kooky attire that Whitney Port would be proud of. Pallot is a pop-rock singer with an affable, bubbly demeanour which the audience took to with great ease. Accompanied by bass guitar and drums, Pallot performed a handful of tracks from albums such as 'Dear Frustrated Superstar' and 'Fires' as well as an ironic cover of Rihanna's 'Umbrella'; ironic, given the fact that the rain never actually materialised, despite widespread damning weather forecasts. The audience consisted of a real cross-section of society, with families and young children, teenage friends and golden oldies all in attendance; a true testament to Young's enduring appeal to the British public as a whole. Pallot finished her set with a well-received performance of one of her most popular tracks, 'Put Your Hands Up' from her 2011 album, 'Year of the Wolf.' With the inventory and casting call completed, the main stage catwalk show was in sight and forest green, its main colour trend. In 2002, Will Young was the first winner of the Idols franchise and therefore created a template for his peers to follow. After selling more than nine million albums, selling out several UK tours and diversifying his portfolio in to theatre, film and TV, it has become clear that this template is not an easy one to follow. Young took to the stage to rapturous applause, opening his set with three tracks from his third UK number one album, 'Echoes': 'Runaway', 'Come On' and current single, 'I Just Want A Lover.' Young has always performed with consummate ease and he looks like he is enjoying every minute of it, flashing his trademark wide grin at regular junctures. What I didn't necessarily realise was how talented a dancer Young has become. I wouldn't be surprised to hear rumours of Strictly Come Dancing in the coming months. With his Donovan-esque down to earth demeanour and witty repartee, I think Young would be a favourite from the start. Young thanked the crowd for "being bothered" enough to turn up given the weather predictions and said that this had meant a lot to him and the band. This date was in fact the close of their UK Forest tour, in association with The Forestry Commission. After spotting a rather large banner in the crowd, Young established that it was a girl called Becky's birthday and initiated a sing-a-long of Happy Birthday. This led to Young confessing that he has three ages: 27 in public, 33 in private and 12 when dancing, then proceeded to twirl in manner of Billy Elliot with a hint of Louis Spence. This drew huge laughter from the crowd, an occurrence that was to become a regular event throughout the show. The atmosphere was one of being amongst friends; such is the easygoing nature of Young. He genuinely appears to be every bit as unassuming as his music videos portray and is clearly able and ever willing to laugh at himself. 'Changes', 'Hearts On Fire' and 'Losing Myself' followed, before Young walked up the moving staircase at the centre of the stage and changed his shirt to one of those already hanging up against the backdrop. Possibly my favourite Young track followed, 'Who Am I?' which sounded exactly like the recorded version. I had read reviews prior to the show which claimed that Young's vocals were just as pitch perfect live as on his recorded material and this had certainly not been an exaggeration. 'You and I' came next, which is a track taken from his debut and first UK number one album, 'From Now On.' Young interacted with the crowd again at this stage, marvelling at the size and content of various banners and recalling his Dad telling him about '...some rather lovely beach huts' at a recent concert. Young explained that the beach huts had in fact been portable loos and that his Dad wasn't entirely accustomed to such things. It is this self-deprecating humour that is part of Young's appeal I think - he doesn't take himself too seriously and I think that this is a pivotal quality which endears certain artists to the general public. Young introduced Milton McDonald on lead guitar and Dave on keys, before singing a cover of Ryan Adams' 'Amy'. Crowd favourite 'All Time Love' followed, taken from 2005's 'Keep On'. This prompted a sea of arm-waving and chorus chanting, just as the sun started to disappear behind the clouds and the stage was dressed head to toe in violet hues. 'Light My Fire' came next, the track which arguably propelled Young to the forefront of the Pop Idol live shows. He sounded every bit as vocally impressive as I remember thinking back in 2002 when I first heard the version. 2003's 'Your Game' came next and a homage to James Brown from Young. I think it would be misleading to try to categorise Young's style of music in to one particular genre; he is somewhat of a performing chameleon, having experimented with both pop and dance, whilst maintaining his clean soul lines throughout. 'Grace' or 'that song from the Natwest advert' followed, before a rousing performance of 'Switch It On'; a particular favourite music video of mine, and I suspect most other females in the audience. The shop may be shut ladies, but it doesn't stop you pressing your face up against the glass and having a good look just to be sure, now does it? 'Leave Right Now' followed, from 2003's five times platinum album, 'Friday's Child.' This was a clear crowd favourite and served as a welcome reminder of the stunning quality of Young's back catalogue. As green neon lights flooded the stage, Young performed 'Evergreen', which holds the record for the biggest-selling single of the 2000s to date and the fastest-selling debut single in UK chart history. 'Silent Valentine' and 'Jealousy' came next from Young's latest album and the stage set took on more of an electro-pop feel with green strobe lights and Young showcasing his obvious love and penchant for performance art. After seventeen tracks, Young took a bow before retiring backstage for a short break of just a few minutes. When he returned, he dedicated a touching performance of 'You Don't Know' to the crowd and explained that he had written the track four or five years ago, at a time when he hadn't been particularly happy after a break-up. To the obvious delight of the crowd, Young stated that he was now very happy and that the crowd at Delamere had been the best of all of the forest dates. Amongst the multi-coloured tees and trousers, Young could have easily been mistaken for an aspiring fashion intern with the world at his feet, happily daydreaming the working day away with thoughts of bright lights, catwalk shows and big cities. As the original Idol and with so many accomplishments in his career to date however, I think that Young was always destined to be more of a (Kelly) Cutrone than a Conrad; frank, fearless and pretty fantastic. review by Shelley Hanvey photos by Shelley Hanvey http://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/fore...-overview.shtml
July 9, 201212 yr Just bringing this over from the other tour thread. Monday, 9 July 2012 Gig Review: Will Young - Kew the Music ✭✭✭✭✭ Will Young http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6-lVViPp-Ww/T_qx5t3JSYI/AAAAAAAAFD8/Ua_4EfYo8XA/s320/will-young-kew-the-music-13.jpg Photo: WENN Kew the Music Saturday 7th July: A typically rain soaked British Summer's evening didn't spoil my enjoyment of this quite frankly brilliant concert in the settings of Kew Gardens. Nerina Pallot was special guest for the evening, doing a lovely set on guitar and piano with her wonderful vocals soaring over the drenched audience. With a 3 piece band on guitars, drums and bass, the audience were loving every minute of it, with songs such as Put Your Hands Up and Butterfly particular favourites. A short break afterwards to change the backline, and it was time for the very impressive Will Young. It doesn't seem like 10 years ago since he won the first Pop Idol, and since then he has become a multi-platinum superstar. And quite rightly so. Will has a great rapport with the crowd, making sure he is seen by all, standing on speakers either side of the stage, jumping down off the stage with the cameras, and even hoping to get out into the arena to see those at the back! Backed by a full band of drums, 2 keyboard players, bass, guitar and 3 backing vocals, the sound was immense, raw and punchy. With hit after hit being belted out in the rain, Will's voice was the the best I have heard it yet. Changes, Your Game, Leave Right Now and Light My Fire proving to be huge crowd pleasers, and I loved every minute of it. There were lots of clothes hung up as a backdrop, of which Will went up some metal stairs to go and pick some off and change his shirt in view of the audience, delighting his myriad of fans... he even started throwing out hit suit jacket into the crowd. Will is a fantastic entertainer, his songs are great to listen to and sing along to, and the setting of Kew The Music makes it even more special. One of the best gigs so far this Summer. 5 out of 5 stars ✭✭✭✭✭ http://www.backstagepass.biz/2012/07/gig-r...c.html?spref=tw Edited July 9, 201212 yr by munchkin
July 9, 201212 yr Thanks Sunday - saw your post after I did mine . What a great review and totally spot on. Isn't it nice when someone totally 'gets' him :D The audience consisted of a real cross-section of society, with families and young children, teenage friends and golden oldies all in attendance; a true testament to Young's enduring appeal to the British public as a whole.I think it would be misleading to try to categorise Young's style of music in to one particular genre; he is somewhat of a performing chameleon, having experimented with both pop and dance, whilst maintaining his clean soul lines throughout. Yep. And not just those two but jazz too. His 606 Club and Ronnie Scotts gigs totally different again. Had a giggle at this :lol: 'Grace' or 'that song from the Natwest advert' followed, before a rousing performance of 'Switch It On'; a particular favourite music video of mine, and I suspect most other females in the audience.The shop may be shut ladies, but it doesn't stop you pressing your face up against the glass and having a good look just to be sure, now does it? Edited July 9, 201212 yr by munchkin
July 9, 201212 yr Author Thanks Sunday - saw your post after I did mine . What a great review and totally spot on. Isn't it nice when someone totally 'gets' him :D Yep. And not just those two but jazz too. His 606 Club and Ronnie Scotts gigs totally different again. Had a giggle at this :lol: Remembering a coversation I had, it was diehard jazz fans he impressed at the 606 not just fans. He's a one off. Fab detailed Delamere review. Thanks Sunday.
July 9, 201212 yr 9th July 2012 16:00:00 Posted by Gary K Will Young - Delamere Forest 6 July 2012 TAGSwill young The UK’s annual monsoon season scoffs at the unfounded optimism of the Forestry Commission’s annual outdoor concert series but the north west’s downpours eventually halt in late afternoon. Classy support Nerina Pallot takes to the stage early evening as the sky clears. “You all look lovely,” she beams. “I like your hats.” Always, you suspect, just one step away from genuine fruit loop eccentricity, she sparks classical songwriter leanings with enough observational quirk to stay clear of the conventional. Even recent album Year of the Wolf, which flirted with mainstream mores, smacked of cool re-invention rather than predictable smoothing. Tonight she mixes recent (a delicate ‘Put Your Hands Up’) and old (a deliciously ribald ‘Geek Love’.) In deference to the rain she re-models Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella’ as a thumping piano ballad. ‘Sophia’ and ‘Everybody’s Gone To War’ please the couple of thousand Young disciples on the stage-front standing area but the groups and families on the hill, gathered around picnic mats and folding chairs are more interested in chit-chat and terrible-looking plonk. Bad manners and stupidity combined: their loss. A decade on, the original Pop Idol continues to defy conventions. This series of outdoor shows follows a sold-out UK tour in support of latest album Echoes, 300,000 sales in the UK providing inarguable evidence of the ongoing appeal of Will Young. This is what happens when the good voices get handed out to those with brains and personality. A goodly portion of the female population continue to live in adoring denial but, if anything, the singer’s appeal has broadened. The new stuff sits well with the old but he gets through most of it early on anyway. ‘Come On', ‘Losing Myself’ and ‘I Just Want a Lover’ are less about his stock-in-trade soul pop and balladry, more beats driven. It’s a slight re-jig that suits him; certainly suits the voice, as clean and range-y as it ever was. The solid backing band keeps it light. Their leader applauds them throughout and quite right - they’re tuned in, rather than drifting on session muso cruise control. Once we’re warmed up, he starts knocking out the hits and they just keep coming. It’s the old ‘You Know More Songs By...Than You Thought You Did’ chestnut, only with Young it genuinely is a little startling. Most are rock solid. ‘Leave Right Now’ and ‘All Time Love’ are fragile ballads, made for far more intimate settings than this but they lift and travel. The voice sells them to the back of the field and you remember he won Pop Idol not just because he could sing a bit but because, for a youngster, Will knew how to interpret, take a song and put a unique spin on it. ‘Evergreen’ and ‘Light My Fire’ remind you where he came from but he has originals that trump the covers. ‘Grace’, ‘Changes’, ‘Who Am I’ all shine. ‘Your Game’ is tight soul-funk. A Bryan Adams cover (‘Amy’) mid-set is a little odd and almost kills the mood but the between song banter is unforced and warm, and holds the crowd. As well as thanks for actually turning up when the day-long downpour might have put many off, he takes banners from the crowd (“WILL YOUNG – WELL HUNG”) and sportingly squeezes into a custom t-shirt thrown onstage that reads “Willie In The Woods”. He resists shallow campery and these days seems to have finally shrugged off the self-doubt he exhibited early on. If maintaining a career as a proper post-talent show pop star was that easy they’d all be at it and we’d be overrun. But is it really all that hard? Will’s approach seems simple enough – don’t be a dick, try to be interesting, know who you are and stick to it (we trust that, say, ‘Pitbull ft. Will Young’ remains nothing but a horrible nightmare.) As ever, he maintains much of the goodwill by ditching the ego and being able to laugh at himself but seriously, on this evidence, there’s little need. Comments To comment you must become a member of The Digital Fix and join thousands of other like-minded users. Already a member? Login here. http://music.thedigitalfix.com/content/17505/will-young.html I agree about Amy that almost killed the mood at both the concerts i went..but everyone got back into the concert as soon as it finished :P
July 9, 201212 yr Author Thanks again Sunday. Love these comments. This is what happens when the good voices get handed out to those with brains and personalityA heady mix that few in the popworld possess. :yahoo: Once we’re warmed up, he starts knocking out the hits and they just keep coming. It’s the old ‘You Know More Songs By...Than You Thought You Did’ chestnut, only with Young it genuinely is a little startling. Most are rock solid. ‘Leave Right Now’ and ‘All Time Love’ are fragile ballads, made for far more intimate settings than this but they lift and travel. The voice sells them to the back of the field and you remember he won Pop Idol not just because he could sing a bit but because, for a youngster, Will knew how to interpret, take a song and put a unique spin on it. ‘Evergreen’ and ‘Light My Fire’ remind you where he came from but he has originals that trump the covers Glad the reviewer noted that from the early days. If maintaining a career as a proper post-talent show pop star was that easy they’d all be at it and we’d be overrun. But is it really all that hard? Will’s approach seems simple enough – don’t be a dick, try to be interesting, know who you are and stick to it (we trust that, say, ‘Pitbull ft. Will Young’ remains nothing but a horrible nightmare.) As ever, he maintains much of the goodwill by ditching the ego and being able to laugh at himself but seriously, on this evidence, there’s little need. :lol:
July 9, 201212 yr Thanks sunday - you beat me to it :lol: Good one again. :dance: A goodly portion of the female population continue to live in adoring denial but, if anything, the singer’s appeal has broadened.We aren't in denial, we just don't care and neither does he - but we definitely are adoring :P He has, by his own admission too, been a dick sometimes but he's always known who he is and where he's going. Classy support Nerina Pallot takes to the stage early evening as the sky clears. “You all look lovely,” she beams. “I like your hats.” Always, you suspect, just one step away from genuine fruit loop eccentricity :lol: I said much the same thing after we saw her at Thetford. Edited July 9, 201212 yr by munchkin
July 9, 201212 yr http://music.thedigitalfix.com/content/17505/will-young.html I agree about Amy that almost killed the mood at both the concerts i went..but everyone got back into the concert as soon as it finished :P How nice to read an intelligent review that hits a few nails on the head, thanks Sunday. I like Amy, I have heard Running Up That Hill enough to do me for a while. :D When he did Show Some Emotion and Help Me OM tour it was the latter I wanted him to sing but got too many SSEs!
July 15, 201212 yr Author Another fab review. Thanks to Diz. A nice little write-up and pic in this tweet from Wandsworth Guardian... MrBatterseaPark@MrBatterseaPark Will Young performs at open-air summer concert: It is an unseasonably wet, cold and miserable evening in July,... http://bit.ly/OtJoal Will Young performs at open-air summer concert 12:46pm Sunday 15th July 2012 in Freetime By Lauren May It is an unseasonably wet, cold and miserable evening in July, yet thousands of people are standing in the drizzling rain at Epsom Racecourse - clutching their umbrellas. Why? Because the original pop idol, Will Young, is about to perform an open-air summer concert as part of Epsom Live – a series of five nights of music and horse racing. The 33-year-old has certainly come a long way since winning Simon Cowell’s first Pop Idol 10 years ago, and he’s still going strong despite many of his contemporaries falling by the wayside – Steve Brookstein anyone? Having not seen Will Young in concert before and not overly familiar with his work, other than the obvious pop hits, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But I was attending with a Will Young uber fan who was more than happy to get me up to speed on all things Will. After an hour and a half long set I came away impressed, not only by his showmanship but his vocals, on stage band and comedy interludes – all while standing in the rain, quite an achievement in itself. At one point Will yelled, ‘Do we care about the rain? No’, before sticking two fingers up to the sky and promising that later he would ‘moonie’ the rain. Storming through his set Will brought out all the feel good favourites including You and I, Leave Right Now, and Evergreen – his first pop idol single now rarely played I’m told – as well as some of his newer hits Jealously and Come On. A highlight for me was me was a cover of Amy by Jacksonville blues rocker Ryan Adams – a nice change of pace. The sun may not have been shining but the British spirit certainly was and it was clear everyone had enjoyed the night. Epsom Live concerts will continue through July and into August with performances by Razorlight on July 19, the Rat Pack on July 26, and a Last Night of the Proms concert on August 2, when we'll all be hoping for better weather.
July 15, 201212 yr Author That's a good one, thanks TT. :D Just goes to show - the highlight was Amy! :lol: That made me laugh too. :lol: Shows we are all different. Think I'll put all the reviews together & pin them. They make such lovely reading. So many realisding just how BRILLIANT a live performer Will is. :dance:
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