Pussycat Dolls @ 02 Arena, London

The Pussycat Dolls at The O2 Arena Review

0/5
Bands: The Pussycat Dolls
Venue: The O2 Arena
Gig: Pussycat Dolls @ The O2 Arena, London
Gig date: 28th January 2009
Posted on 1st February 2009 by johnbeyer

A windswept vision of basques, bare midriffs and boots, Pussycat Dolls arrived on stage astride five motorbikes, like a magazine centrefold brought to life. Descending a steep row of steps in formation, the five women preened, pouted and punched the air, while somehow managing to fit in a bit of singing as they reached the floor of the stage. Having started out as a company of burlesque dancers in Los Angeles in 1995, Pussycat Dolls extended their portfolio of activities to include music comparatively recently. But, with two albums and a string of hit singles released since 2005, they have converted a distinctive brand of choreographed glamour into hard record sales. Their show was a sort of hip-hop cabaret. Songs such as I Hate this Part and Buttons were funky dance grooves performed with a brisk, pneumatic vigour and illustrated by elaborate routines from the women and their five male dancers. There were set pieces where the boys wore sailors suits and the girls hid in little doll’s houses. The lead singer, Nicole Scherzinger, asked us if we’d like to take her out on a date, before wondering aloud whether her boyfriend Lewis Hamilton would mind. Visually, it was an engaging presentation. Five young women who all looked like the amazonian androids in Blade Runner, cavorting in a variety of exotic underwear amid dazzling fireworks and searing pillars of flame — what’s not to like? But as a musical entertainment it was considerably less impressive. Scherzinger and Melody Thornton both have strong voices, if rather mannered pop-diva singing styles, but the others were unremarkable in this department. The musical accompaniment, meanwhile, was pre-recorded, bar occasional contributions from a couple of percussionists, and while it is regarded as old-fashioned to make a fuss about these things, this was a spectacularly egregious example of a pop concert in which there were literally no musicians involved. Thank goodness for the support act, the American R’n’B singer and songwriter Ne-Yo, who performed a brilliant set that harked back to the days of the old-school soul revue shows. Ne-Yo sang splendidly and reached out to the 20,000 fans with hits including Closer and Miss Independent as if it was his own show. David Sinclair

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Pussycat Dolls @ 02 Arena, London | livemusic.fm

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