JAMES ARTHUR // THE SSE HYDRO, GLASGOW

X FACTOR WINNER 'JAMES ARTHUR' RETURNS TO GLASGOW WITH HIS 'BACK FROM THE EDGE' TOUR TO PLAY SSE HYDRO, AFTER PLAYING SMALLER SHOW AT O2 ACADEMY EARLIER THIS YEAR

JAMES ARTHUR PERFORMING AT GLASGOW'S SSE HYDRO - 28/11/2017
PICTURE BY: OWEN MELDRUM PHOTOGRAPHY

★★★★☆

Before James Arthur appeared on stage the crowd was already bouncing with excitement at the Hydro on Tuesday night in anticipation for his “Back From The Edge” tour show. He started this concert by appearing at the back of the stage, only revealing himself after he began singing. This sent a ripple of cheers through the venue and you could almost see the ecstasy flowing out of the audiences mouth as they screamed.

During the song “I am” James then held up a Scottish flag symbolising his respect for his audience and their reaction lit up his face and seemed to fill him with a huge sense of joy. We saw this joy extend into the following song as the way he moved with his guitar showed his passion and it was as if, for a moment, the crowd was not there and that he was in his own world, compelling the audience to his performance.

The upbeat tone then changed as the lights turned blue along with the music. When looking around, it seemed as though the crowds eyes were magnetised to James as his voice bounced of the walls and sank into there ears. They were stunned by the emotion in his voice and so was I. At this point, even for people who were attending the concern not knowing who he was, definitely recognised the talent in this man and how impressive his vocal range is, this was initially shown in the song “Recovery”.

However, I would say the most impressive song of the show was “Roses” not only for the pure emotion in the song itself but for how the audience reacted, holding up their torches and filling the hydro with what looked like stars in the midnight sky. Rose petals then proceeded to fall from the ceiling like a waterfall silencing the audience. James Arthur's many talents continued to shine following this as in the song “Sermon” he raps making the entire audience bounce to the beat, including the seated audience which rose to their feet.

What happened next was like a step back in time to James's days to when he appeared on X-Factor. He invited the support act “Ella Henderson” who also appeared on the X-Factor to stage to perform a duet.

This was a fantastic moment as their voices complimented each other incredibly. You could tell they were performing as friends who had made this journey together. They looked like they were having an amazing time. Another thing I would give this concert credit for is the dedication of the backing band.

All the music on the night was live and although the concert was for “James Arthur” each of the seven people on stage stood in the spotlight at one point. They were all extremely talented and brought the concert together. It was a night of pure talent and amazement and the only thing I would have changed about it would have been to have known more of the songs before I attended. The contrast in mood throughout the entire night moved me and I would definitely go back and see it again.

REVIEW BY: EILIDH GRANT
PHOTOS BY: OWEN MELDRUM PHOTOGRAPHY

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