22nd February 2010
Never let it be said that Same Teens only appreciate bands that are completely ’4 Real’ – we just love what we love….Jade and Forrest shook off any thoughts of being too cool for school and saw the best gig of the year so far.
We used all our powers of persuasion to catch up with JLS when they hit Manchester this week and although our requests for an interview were turned down, the JLS boys invited us along to their gig at The Carling Apollo Manchester to tell you all about it.
There is something to be said for mob mentality and that Cosmo flaunted idea that if a guy is fancied by one woman he immediately becomes attractive to two more… JLS must be the most lusted after guys in pop if the crowd reaction at their Manchester gig was anything to go by. It’s cheesy, it’s blatant and it’s wholly amazing. With no less than four costume changes- with a special Michael Jackson tribute segment (which left younger portions of the crowd bewildered as ‘Beat It’ just isn’t on that JLS album) the guys rippled and back-flipped all over the stage with an impressive lightshow and LED screen flashing pictures and lyrics and multicoloured lights.
But what about the music? No one is trying to say their lyrics are making Leonard Cohen run for cover or Bob Dylan ringing up for tips but their delivery of material was nothing short of fun. ‘Beat Again’ ran through the whole routine of the video with pitch-perfect singing… When other pop-stars opt for the lip-sync, rely on their backing dancers and smoke-effects to put on a show it was refreshing to see four guys singing and dancing, in tune and with genuine amazement in their eyes that they were this far into the pop game. X-Factor- love it or hate it- it at least teaches people to sing live without inhibition. And maybe the fact that at times their voices couldn’t be heard over the screaming and crying of pre-pubescent girls and mid-40 year olds alike helped a little.
‘Private’ and ‘Close to You’ were cheekily sung and ‘Only Making Love’ was nothing short of a bump’n’grind miracle. Leaving hit song ‘Everybody in Love’ till the end meant everybody had their hands raised in the air and mobile phones raised to emulate that classic rock-show lighter flame (see they even promote health and safety!). Slower number ‘Close to You’ saw the boys reclining on stairs, crooning with feeling into their microphone and the crowd showing their dedication singing along to an album track.
What it boils down to is the gaping hole left by the 90s boybands like Boyzone and Take That- who although having another bite at the apple just aren’t ‘ladz’ anymore. JLS are everything the pop-scene needs- self-effacing, humble and really, really hot.
Words by Jade French, Same Teens
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