10.04.07
It’s not for the cock, it’s for reliving your childhood.
Gwen Stefani and CSS, Wembley Arena.
(Picture by Craig Jones.)
With Madonna running around saving orphans and Britney waddling around L.A. desperate for wigs and drugs it seems that the list of music heros from my childhood reads like a very boring issue of heat. That’s why I thank God for Gwen Stefani who’s the only credible one left and keeping the 10 year old girl inside me alive.
Ok, so she was far from the pop starlet she is today when No Doubt first came onto my radar but I’m infinatly greatful as they’re probably the reason I first looked beyond the mainstream for my musical fixes. But hey, we’re all allowed a relapse every once and a while and in this day and age, I’m sure you’ll agree, this is the best I’m likely to find. Especially when the support comes from camp Brazilians of the moment CSS.
Sadly CSS were a bit of a let down. Unlike Gwen they just don’t belong on a stage that size. Give them a stage they have to squeeze on, a room full of wasted teenagers and a 9.30 slot and they’ll probably blow you away but tonight they’re playing to a ridiculously large audience, most of whom are more interested in finding their seats than what’s going on on stage, and it just doesn’t work. They still ticked all their usual boxes: glitter cat suit, instrument swapping and shape pulling but sadly no one really cared, including the venue who didn’t even dim the lights which completely destroyed the chance of any atmosphere being generated by the 50 or so CSS fans at the show.
Thankfully, by the time the stage was graced by Mrs. Stefani the audience seemed thorougly warmed up despite the cold reaction to the opening act. That’s hardly surprising though when one considers the amount of lights and pyrotechnics that preceded her arival to the stage, which was in an enormous gold cage to the opening bars of ‘The Sweet Escape’ (get it?). After that all it took to get the entire audience on their feet dancing was for those annoyingly infectious ‘whoo hoo, wee ooh’s to kick in. This for me was a promising start as I was very skeptical about all this sitting down at gigs nonesense and because the stage show was more than I ever hoped for. Live band, props, Harajuku girls, break dancers and costume changes all got me wide eyed and screaming with delight louder than the 12 year olds sat next to me with light up bunny ears.
Along with my apprehension about being seated I was unsure that Gwen’s slower songs such as ‘Cool’ and ‘Luxurious’ could really work well live but once again I was gladly proved wrong. I unexpectedly found that she has a much better voice than much of her recorded work would let you believe. Her voice has a real strength behind it which meant her balled stlye tracks were far more impressive live than recorded. Gwen also proved she was worthy of her rock hard abs, sprinting to the back of the arena and up the sides showing she’s still aware of her ‘rock chick’ roots, as I imagine that’s the closest this seated venue gets to crowd surfing.
The biggest let down of the show was that No Doubt didn’t join Gwen for her encore, so, pipe dreams aside, it was a huge success and well worth the ridiculous amount of money I shelled out to go. Gwen Stefani is as unique, innovative and highly creative artist and has all the style, sex appeal and performing talent of Madonna during her ‘Like A Virgin’ tour, the future of pop music is in safe hands.
Gwen Stefani-Wind It Up (Kissy Sell Out Remix)
Gwen Stefani-Yummy Removed
Brooke said,
October 4, 2007 at 2:21 pm
Excellent. Funny as hell, too, although that’s sad about CSS, I thought that would have been amazing.
x
McAsh said,
October 14, 2007 at 9:33 pm
Alright. I take back what I said - music journalism isn’t all balls.
This review was actually really entertaining and - dare I say it - informative.
I popped onto NME.com and typed Gwen Stefani into the review search and read the first one that popped up.
The opening paragraph:
Back in 2004 times were tough for pop music. Justin Timberlake’s ‘Cry Me A River’ and Xtina’s ‘Dirrty’ were little more than million-dollar memories, and the sappy ringtone-romance of James Blunt was creeping into the collective consciousness. People were desperate for something with a lot of sass and a little class. Enter the unexpected ace up pop’s sleeve, a ska-obsessed faux-punk holed up in Primrose Hill. While Gwen Stefani’s band No Doubt had never been taken that seriously as a rock group, her solo debut, ‘Love Angel Music Baby’, steeped in ’80s nostalgia and super producers (Pharrell, André 3000) ensured that she became the most credible of pop stars.
This is boring and annoying, and the type of thing I unfairly stereotyped all music journalism as. So thanks for convincing me to be more open-minded about the subject, it’s quite clear that the industry has more to offer than I gave it credit for.
xxxx
Heath said,
November 3, 2007 at 12:49 am
Mate, I can’t believe i have to write a comment for this again. You definately deleted my first one.
Gwen was awesome and the rock-hard abs were an illusion..probably painted on or steel plated.
I can’t remember what i said before and the gig was quite a while ago, still a very accurate review though lady, high 5.
When will you be reviewing the Spice Girls ‘Headlines’ - we going for a yay or a nay?
xxx