Tonight:
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Chris Elwell-Sutton's rating
, Legend's gospel soul tames wild rappers
By
Chris Elwell-Sutton
3 Oct 2006
Having sold thee million copies of his debut studio album and walked away with three gongs at this year's Grammy Awards, singer, producer and multi-instrumentalist John Legend is now on course for full-scale stardom. He's so far failed to achieve a big mainstream presence in the UK but last night's gutsy one-off performance in advance of his second album's release could well be the springboard for his wider acceptance in this country, not least because it was streamed live over the internet.
It was a cool, confident Legend who filled the Albert Hall, far more so when I saw him perform a year ago at the Scala. Despite his relatively low profile, it was in many ways a thoroughly appropriate setting for a musician of his stature, who has played piano, sung and produced for a host of stars.
Legend's smart, dignified image and demeanour seemed to show refreshing respect for his audience. Opening with a euphoric new track, Heaven Only Knows, he injected plenty of energy into his performance, but despite the romantic content, it was an energy that had more in common with the gospel tradition of black American churches than with the oily, sexual, hip-wiggling world of R&B.
The same was true of Let's Get Lifted, on which his backing band harmonised well as his rich voice promised to: "get you soooo high".
Although their responses to his ballads were sometimes muted, the audience bounced, swayed and clapped along to faster tracks like I Can Change, which has such wholesome sentiments that a guest rap on the recording by the normally foul-mouthed Snoop Dogg contains the line: "Take me to the river/ And baptise my soul." Snoop wasn't there, but when they realised that the black-clad figure who'd just leaped onstage was none other than long-time Legend collaborator and hip-hop kingpin Kanye West, the audience went truly berserk. A spirited duet ensued, during which West seemed to spur Legend on to move around and hype the crowd up.
It's a measure of the esteem in which Legend is held that West was careful not to upstage his friend, opting not to wear any flashy jewellery and exiting the stage as soon as his work was done.
But of course, the very fact that there was a risk of his being upstaged is a clue to Legend's main shortcoming. There were times when it seemed that he'd reverted to his days as a nightclub performer, providing faultless music but not always engaging with the audience. Nonetheless, for the most part, Legend's soulful sounds succeeded in creating a warm, enthusiastic atmosphere, especially when he invoked help from on high.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Reader views (10)
Down to earth young man, on the way to stellar heights; fantastic musician; vocally, this man rocks.
"Show me" is a beautifully written song, performed here like it really should - John you will really become a legend in due time.
- Stella, UK, 19/10/2006 06:48
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The performance was spot on and his backing singers and band were awesome (esp the drummer).
Audio equipment was below par and could have been better.
What dissapointed me though was the crowd, which were very poor throughout the night. I almost found myself asking people why they were there.
A treat to hear tracks from his new album which were great and the cameo from Kanye West was a nice suprise.
As a singer (bar Stevie Wonder) you can't get any better and glad to hear him announce some more shows in december, most notably the final UK show at Brixton Academy on the 22nd which I have got tickets for already.
Hopefully the crowd won't be so poor next time but expect his vocals to be just like the sound from your stereos when playing 'Get Lifted' or 'Once Again'.
Roll on the 23rd Oct!
- Stephen, London, 08/10/2006 23:08
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I originally had gallery tickets for this gig, and after numerous phone calls 2 weeks before the show I was constantly on the phone to upgrade to stalls, which I managed to do Worth the effort?
Not really...
I'm a huge neo-soul fan and quite fond of Legend's music, but unfortunately he didn't live up to his name. The sound was awful for the first 5 songs and his effort was half-hearted. His backing vocals was spot on, and the band was great. He did get significantly better half way through it, and his performance of some of the ballads ("Ordinary People", "Stay With You") was flawless. I didn't enjoy most of his new stuff, though the prayer song he did was excellent. The reggae spin-off of "Used to Love U" was really good.
Although it's inevitable to compare this to the sublime Jay-Z performance a week before in the RAH, I think the venue was too prestigious for John Legend - he didn't even know where he was playing ("Royal Academy Hall" according to him) and was farely lazy. However if he sticks to playing in places like Shepherds Bush or Koko's, he could rip the place apart. The fact that he couldn't pull off this concert from start to finish shows that his scope as a multi-million selling artists is limited.
Oh, and he could have got a better supporting act too...
- Avinash Daryanani, London, 06/10/2006 12:43
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Yes it was a good concert only marred by the venue which seemed too large and impersonal for John Legends music and style. A smaller intimate venue would have suited it moreso.
- D, Reading, Berkshire, 05/10/2006 11:29
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Just have to say that the sound balance for this concert was poor, over amplified and distorted. Having seen the peerless Anita Baker at the same venue, I know what a fabulous acoustic venue the RAH can be, so this almost spoilt the night. The new material sounds great though and John is definitely a star waiting to hit the UK mainstream.
- Peter Nixon, Ashford,UK, 05/10/2006 10:52
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A true R n' B artist. Legends performance was fabulously flawless. He opened with a new track from his awaited second album 'Once Again' and delivered ballards to sooth the audience into moments of absolute silence. The third time for me seeing John Legend in concert and a five star performance it was. Guest appearance from Kanye West caused a mayor hype with the crowd, with an encore chant from the audience, Legend delivered a final song to part with his fans.
Rumours of another visit in December and the release of 'Once Again' later this month, he's definately here to stay.
- Tristram Mcdonald, London, 04/10/2006 14:52
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The word 'amazing' is an understatement when used to describe the musical legend that is John Legend. His live performances are so soulful it can almost be described as a spiritual experience. The awe-filled silence of the audience as he performed 'Ordinary People' cannot be described. We got to hear a lot of his new tracks too ('Each day gets better' I predict will be the new 'wedding song' of the year). I can not wait till his new album 'Once Again' is released (Oct 23rd! spread the word). Can't wait till he's back in December - what a nice birthday present!
- Mod, London, 03/10/2006 23:56
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A legendary performance from the aptly named and talented musician.
I would ordinarily be standing at a gig but the seats at the Royal Albert Hall became obsolete as we were lifted into the air by John Legend’s lyrics and sound. His vocals, piano-playing and backing musicians resonated through the ideal acoustic setting for this smooth and powerful voice.
The evening was tinged with many influences, from gospel to reggae, and there were strong shades of Prince about this man and his performance. Rapper and collaborator Kanye West vanished almost as quickly as he had appeared (pity the man next to us who had popped to the bar and missed such a big star) but he wasn’t mourned for long – rightly so as this was John Legend’s night.
Often, when an artist airs previously unheard tracks, there is a sense of patient anticipation as you wait for the hits you recognise, but all his new songs were captivating.
‘Ordinary People’ was an emotional highlight and the last song, performed so stirringly by Legend alone with his piano that the return to stage for an encore was almost unexpected. But they all came out and did another couple of tracks, the audience joining him on cloud nine at the finishing line with a rousing rendition of ‘So High’.
An emotional Monday night.
- Nicki, London, UK, 03/10/2006 16:02
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His performance was technically faultless but lacked any really connection with the audience until Kanye came on stage. That seemed to spur him on and he really got into it afterwards. The acoustics or sound system were also a real problem to begin with which muffled the silkiness of his voice. Thankfully that also got better and we were able to appreciate the true magic that is John Legend.
- Ni, London, 03/10/2006 12:53
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After his performance at the Royal Albert Hall I have become a definate John Legend fan. His new tracks were amazing and his performance was just pure class. The icing on the cake being when Kanye West burst onto the stage. Can't wait for the album.
- Fatuma, London, 03/10/2006 12:22
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