Review – Katy Perry – Birmingham LG Arena – Monday 4th April 2011

Ms Perry rocked it out in Birmingham tonight, treating the assembled throng of somewhere in the region of 15,000 fans (apparently her biggest UK show to date) to a spectacle that they will never forget. Katy Perry is not only one of the biggest stars in planet pop right now, after the huge commercial success of her first two albums, One Of The Boys, and her latest album Teenage Dream, but she is one of its most imaginative.

Before she takes to the stage though, French electro pop outfit Yelle play a spirited 40 minute set, full of thumping and pulsating beats, and do well in getting the crowd in the party mood. Their songs are all (I think) in French, but they transcend language barriers to great effect, and come over as a better version of La Roux in the process.

It won’t be for everyone, but electro-pop fans who like a good bit of 80’s-tinged synthesiser action, are in for a treat with this band, and frontwoman Yelle (the bands namesake) is a captivating and energetic focal point.

DJ Skeet Skeet aptly follows Yelle, getting the arena pumped with his mixes of some big hits, as well as with some of his own material that will be making a splash on his debut album later in the year. He works the crowd into a frenzy, warming them up a treat, ready for the arrival of the pop starlet herself.

Katy Perry then takes to the stage amidst mass hysteria, following a video intro on the big screens. The show is based around brief video interludes,that tell a loose story of Katy’s adventures in Candyland, whilst dreaming, including losing her kitty (Kitty Purry since you asked) and coming face to face with a multitude of characters on her way to finding “The Baker’s Boy”- her Teenage Dream if you will.

Opening with that very song, she has the crowd in the palm of her hand from the very outset, and follows up that anthemic single with Hummingbird Heartbeat (one of the stand out tracks of her latest album) and Waking Up In Vegas.

People are going mental from the get go, and by the time she rocks out a peacock inspired get-up for, yes, you guessed it, Peacock, she is well and truly hitting top gear. She follows that up still with I Kissed A Girl, and although not a personal favourite, has the crowd going crazier still, preluding it with an extended classy intro, before the track we all now kicks in fully, on the second verse.

To be able to throw so many of her biggest hits out so early in a two hour set, is quite remarkable, and a testament to the great material she now has at her disposal.

The stage set up is remarkable, with the Candyland theme running riot on the arena stage, and the many costume changes, as well as video clips, go hand in hand, emphatically backing up the brilliant and innovative ideas she touched on initially in the California Gurls video with Snoop Dogg last year. In many ways, it is a continuation of that theme, which is fitting, considering that it changed the game for Katy Perry.

She has taken her rightfully deserved place in the upper echelon of pop performers with this latest tour, and it is clear to see why she is the darling of the pop scene right now. Taylor Swift is the wholesome heartbeat of the scene, Gaga is the out and out crazy, Rihanna is its sexy and rauncy side, and Katy Perry is the flirty and fun side of the pop realm. That comes out in abundance tonight. The concept is excellent, and brimming full of creativity, bright colours, and candy themed regalia.

What it does is add to the experience for the fans, not for one moment taking anything away from the tracks she sings tonight, which could have always been the danger. She has a lot of hits, and is immensely talented, being able to not only captivate the imaginations of everyone in the LG tonight, but also sing and dance consistently for a nigh on two hour set. Hits come thick and fast, and have the crowd singing along at every point.

A highlight is her rendition of cracking new single, Extra-Territorial (E.T.) sans Mr West, which is thunderous, almost ripping the roof clean off the arena, with its punchy refrain, amidst a thrilling laser show, really taking her audience into another dimension. She later shows the other side to her abilities, taking in a brief acoustic interlude, and playing some cover songs (most notably, and impressively, a run through of Jay-Z’s Big Pimpin) to show her voice at its most vulnerable and stripped back, really showcasing her talents.

Her run through of Thinking Of You, alone at the front of the stage, acoustic guitar to hand, is truly breathtaking, and a sight to behold. Hot N Cold, one of her biggest (and best) songs to date then follows, and has the entire audience dancing and singing along en masse, to stunning effect.

While she proves she can sing, and sing well, she soon brings back the fun to the shows proceedings, and continues with the Candyland themes and stylings, all the way up to her stunning finale, as set closer proper Firework truly does rip the arena roof clean off, and has the crowd singing at a deafeningly loud level.

She returns in a cupcake adorned dress to rapturous applause, and blitzes through a phenomenal California Gurls as her encore, leaving the crowd on their feet, truly privileged to have witnesses such an incredible evening of pop music at its absolute best.

What is most impressive tonight though, hits aside, is her commensurate showmanship (show-womanship?) and the way she flirts and teases the crowd throughout. To her utmost credit, she knows her audience, and most importantly, knows what they want, and she really is the all-American girl, who has now well and truly been adopted as one of our own, since her marriage to Russell Brand.

She also puts on a thrilling live show which has more costume changes than I have ever seen (sometimes even with the space of one song!), enthralling visuals and use of video footage, and some killer pop hits to add up to a brilliant night out.

Miss this at your peril – you really won’t believe your eyes.

Stunning.

Setlist: Teenage Dream/Hummingbird Heartbeat/Waking Up In Vegas/Ur So Gay/Peacock/I Kissed A Girl/Circle The Drain/Extra-Terrestrial (E.T.)/Who Am I Living For?/Pearl/Not Like The Movies/Only Girl In The World (Rihanna cover)/Big Pimpin’(Jay-Z cover)/Born This Way (Lady Gaga cover)/Whip My Hair (Willow Smith cover)/Thinking Of You/Hot N Cold/Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)/I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)(Whitney Houston cover)/Firework/California Gurls