WHETHER you love or hate her, its undeniable that P!nk is a global phenomenon. Pushing pop as far into rock as it can go while being one of the most outspoken feminists, LGBTQ+ allies, a philanthropist, and activist.
She pushes messages of rebellion, independence, and candid emotion in her music whilst not falling into the trap of turning the songs into sermons. Talking of falling... her live shows are known for being full of ariel acrobatics and trapeze work by Ms. Moore worthy of any circus performance.
This tour is the Summer Carnival tour and it promises to push the legendary performances even further. Two packed dates at Hampden Stadium with three support acts in tow – on paper, it looks impossible to mess up.
As much as I love giving as many column inches to the support acts in shows as I can, three acts would eat into the word count to the detriment of the main act. I will give you an honest run down, however.
Kidcutup - a DJ who is a longtime friend of P!nk - splices some great club tracks together and scratches with the best of them. Much better than some roadie’s Spotify playlist playing as the stadium fills and between acts. Gayle is best known for her viral hit “ABCDEFU” which you have probably heard over the top of a million TikTok videos.
It’s clear that P!nk has been a huge influence on her music which isn’t only evident in the sound, but her confident stage presence. This performance left me hoping that she won't just be a one hit wonder. The final support is the most recognizable, The Script. Lead by The Voice coach Danny O’Donoghue, it’s a polished pop rock performance with the highlight being hit single “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved”.
The introduction to the main event is a Max Headroom style video starring the lady of the moment, and to be honest... I kinda love it. It’s fun, quirky, retro and sets the mood for what’s to come. First track ‘Get the Party Started’ blares with samples of ‘Sweet Dreams’ by the Eurythmics and ‘Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)’.
The band sound great, especially the backing singers that are laying down a note perfect base for when the main vocals eventually come in. Pink appears in the open mouth at the top of the stage before falling and bouncing on bungee cords. As someone who is terrified of heights (and more importantly – falling), this would not be the first time where my heart was in my throat tonight.
The set isn’t the longest with nineteen songs, but those songs are all top tier hits and are often extended to allow the superb dancers to steal the limelight. There’s two covers: Bob Dylan’s ‘Make You Feel My Love’ and the classic 4 Non Blondes’ ‘What’s Up?’. The theming of the stage is incredible with neon colours and cartoonish props.
There are moments when the beach ready dancers make you think you’re in the Barbie movie as they ride around on inflatable flamingos in this bubblegum world that’s been put out for us. The song ‘Turbulence’ gives us a darker mood.
A solo dancer expressing some real turmoil on the catwalk before P!nk performs the song while also performing a dance routine suspended on a trapeze. Another moment where the fear only serves to heighten the excitement of the whole show. Even with the dark songs, it’s still fun.
There’s a tradition at P!nk concerts for fans to bring gifts – some weird and wonderful – and tonight is no exception. A young guest hands the singer a homemade toy in her likeness and P!nk seems genuinely thrilled with it.
It’s that connection with the fans that’s made tonight so special. There’s real admiration in the air; you can sense how utterly overjoyed every fan is to be sharing the same air as P!nk and it seems the feeling is mutual. If you're seated at the back of any other stadium show, you’re never going to get a decent glimpse of your hero.
At a P!nk stadium show, there’s every chance she’ll be hovering only a few meters away from your face as she flies around making sure every fan can get close to her. This death-defying stunt was the climax of “So What” and the perfect way to close the night... even if it did give me the absolute fear.
It’s this pushing the live shows in the same way that her music is pushed to the limits of what the genre would allow that makes them some of the best that have ever been. Tonight has proven that P!nk live still takes some beating.
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