A band in their Glory Days
SIMON DUKE REVIEWS LITTLE MIX AT THE METRO RADIO ARENA IN NEWCASTLE – AND THEY ARE BACK IN NOVEMBER FOR TWO MORE SHOWS
EVERY time they come back to Newcastle, Little Mix seem to have seen their career reach another peak and this time round there were two big trump cards under their belts their biggest-selling album to date and their first Brit Award.
And the group, who won X Factor nearly six years ago, now are very much riding on the crest of a very successful wave.
Fresh from supporting Ariana Grande in the US and their own outdoor Summer Shout Out tour, the fierce quartet are looking and sounding better than ever.
Their likeability, impressive vocals and fine stage presence is what helped them to victory in 2011 and while outfits might leave a little less to the imagination these days, all three qualities are thankfully still there in abundance but with added fierceness and finesse.
Opening in emphatic style with the punchy Power, Jade, Perrie, Jesy and Leigh-Anne delivered yet another polished and pleasing set, which must be harder to pick songs for with each new tour, given the growing list of smash hits they’re accumulating. Among the biggest of those has to be 2015 chart-topper Black Magic. So while it was a bit of a surprise to see it make an appearance so early on in the show, it certainly helped he atmosphere to remain at fever pitch as fans of all ages sang and dance along.
The uptempo start to proceedings was maintained by the equally sassy Private Show and Move, while it was also nice to see the girls’ vocals really brought to the fore in slower numbers like Nothing Else Matters – which saw the arena bathed in the light of held up phones – and Secret Love Song, which for me has to be up there as one of the best pop ballads of the modern era.
The latter also gave one Miss Edwards a real chance to shine with the track’s now famous big note bringing the best out of the South Shields singer’s now instantly recognisable voice and unbelievable range.
A certain other proud Sanddancer was also in fine form, with Jade also sounding and looking every inch the superstar that many of her family and supporters knew she was destined to be from a young age.
Taking things back to the first album, it was a pleasant and very welcome surprise to see the eerie but electric DNA back on the set list with extra sass thanks to its not-so-subtle segue into Freak.
There’s one thing you can be guaranteed of at a Little Mix concert and it’s some audience participation and after professing her love for Greggs, Jade led the crowd, which included her brother, in a hair-whipping masterclass, which led very seamlessly into Sean Paul collaboration Hair. Even in the short space of time since their outdoor gig at Durham County Cricket Ground, Little Mix have found time to release another hit single, with Latininfused recent banger Reggaeton Lento bringing a much-needed sun-tinged soundtrack to a dreary Newcastle night.
There’s a reason why Glory Days has become the girls’ biggest seller to date – that being that it is packed full of killer tunes.
And following in the footsteps of Power and No Sad Songs came Touch and a song you might have heard of called Shout Out To My Ex.
The No 1 that earned them a Brit brought things to a rousing and high-octane crescendo.
I’ve just got one criticism – compared with the Get Weird tour, the staging, the huge back screen aside, was a bit of lacklustre. For an act of Little Mix’s worldwide stature I can’t have been the only one hoping for a bit more of a spectacle
That said, if you want a slice of preened pop perfection, go see Little Mix as these girls are at the very top of their game.