will.I.am, Royal Albert Hall, gig review: Pulsating beats, effortless charm and Ricky Wilson
A night of reunions, collaborations and maybe a hint of future ventures
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Your support makes all the difference.When reviewing rap artist and TV personality will.I.am, it’s hard to avoid using metaphors about a certain singing competition with rotating furniture. But aside from his role on The Voice, will.I.am has seven Grammys to his name and collaborations with everyone from Michael Jackson to Justin Bieber.
Will.I.am gets straight to business with three big tunes, opening with the Coldplay-esque stadium-filler “This Is Love”, before dropping 2014’s “It’s My Birthday” and introducing Lydia Lucy, a finalist from his team on the latest series of The Voice, for the pulsating beats of 2013’s “Feelin’ Myself”. It’s a strong opening and will.I.am does his best to share himself around the 360-degree stage in the centre of the Royal Albert Hall. The way he hyperactively jumps around the arena, like a giddy rock star playing his first gig, is infectious.
Just as he starts to get into the groove he switches things up with a quick DJ set. There’s a brief blip in proceedings when Ricky Wilson, of Kaiser Chiefs and The Voice fame, guest performs “I Predict A Riot”, and due to what must have been a technical glitch is completely out of time. But he’s politely humoured and still gets a massive cheer when will.I.am confesses that if Wilson doesn’t do the next series of The Voice, which was recently bought by ITV, then neither will he.
Having confirmed that Black Eyed Peas are working together again, it’s no surprise to see will.I.am hook up with bandmates apl.de.ap and Taboo toward the end of the show, although Fergie is notably absent. But Lydia Lucy is a more than capable understudy as the collective riffle through a series of hits including fan favourites “Where Is The Love?” and “I Gotta Feeling”.
Will.I.am closes the night with his Britney Spears collaboration “Scream & Shout”, complete with ridiculously over-the-top, but brilliant, graphics of Britney putting a golden axe through a glitter ball, before signing off with the jagged beats of his latest single “Boys & Girls”.
And there’s still time for his effortless charm to shine through, as he hilariously carries on improvising, rapping “drop this elevator – peace out” while trying to exit the stage through three separate trap doors that just won’t play ball. Would I spin some oversized furniture for Will? The truth is, his charisma is undeniable, and it wasn’t long before he had the crowd in the palm of his hand. It would be hard not to.
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