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David Smyth's rating
In the pink and leaving her rivals in the dust
By
David Smyth
15 Aug 2007
Everything looked rosy for Pink once again as she slummed it in Brixton for the first of two nights warming up for her slot high on the bill at this weekend's V Festival.
After a career blip in 2003, when the songs on her album Try This failed to match up to past big-sellers, Pink looked as if she might have to go back to being plain old Alecia Moore from Pennsylvania. But her fourth album, I'm Not Dead, saw her back on form, became one of the best-selling albums of 2006 in the UK and gave her an excuse to put on some spectacularly over-the-top shows at Wembley Arena last autumn.
In fact, though back then she clearly enjoyed performing risqué acrobatics and riding a motorbike on stage, it is here in Brixton, in a sweaty environment free from costume changes and confetti, that her songs come across more effectively.
Before a backdrop of duelling dragons designed to be seen from the back of a large field, in front of a sellout crowd who must have bought their tickets from some sort of lesbian hotline, she sang her anthems of female empowerment without choreography.
Sometimes the lines about rebellion were too obvious ("I don't play your rules, I make my own" on Cuz I Can; "You better run and hide" on Trouble) and the guitars too polished to sound as if she really meant it.
But tracks such as Family Portrait and My Vietnam, which referenced her parents' divorce, opened a door to real emotions.
Stylish but unafraid of looking silly, she tottered about the stage making baby talk during the terrifically catchy Stupid Girls, which sounded more timely than ever, given the recent legal troubles of the professional airheads it seems to ridicule, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan.
Her voice lifted her above her peers, neither a tediously perfect warble like Christina Aguilera's nor a feeble chirrup like Britney Spears's. She laboured the resemblance of her pleasing rasp to Janis Joplin's by performing a Joplin medley halfway through.
Most of all, though, her talent was for belting out great choruses. The Last To Know, Just Like A Pill and Don't Let Me Get Me all induced mass singalongs, as did a cover of What's Up by her frequent collaborator Linda Perry's old band, 4 Non Blondes.
The feeling was that that blip is now a speck in the distance. There won't be many more opportunities to see her in a venue this small, as Pink's party is still just getting started.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Reader views (7)
Went to see PINK now the second time! She is just awesome! Super life performance - she keeps what she promises! Excellent voice! she has a lot of charisma and she really entertains the crowd.
- Petra, London UK, 17/08/2007 23:49
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I went to see Pink on 15th Aug and she was absolutely brilliant! Loved the venue (my first time at Brixton Academy) and we were about 4 rows from the front. She got the crowd going wild and had us all singing along to old and new tunes. She was very chatty with us and it felt very personal. Apart from being gorgeous, she is a fantastic live singer and I can't wait to get tickets to her next show.
- Claire Russell-Morgan, South London - Croydon, 17/08/2007 13:51
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Pink and her band lifted the roof, the quality was as clear as listening to a cd. She really got the party started and her ability to belt out each song one after the other proved she is up there with the best. A great night, very reasonably priced and such good fun.
- Nichola, Ealing London, 16/08/2007 21:30
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Pink was the best birthday present for me. We went last night 15th August. I took my 11 year old son Marc and it was awesome. The venue is excellent and it was my sons first experience of a small venue and Pink has an excellent voice with such quality and timbre in her notes.
She never lost quality once and her backing group are fantastic too. The audience were really part of the show. Shame she didnt do the medley of Joplin she does her songs brilliantly too. 5 stars for this lady. Well done Pink and thank you so much for making a dream come true for us!
- Jenny And Marc, Islington, London, 16/08/2007 11:20
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Pink was as amazing as ever last night. Fans are never disappointed. She just seems to get better and better and out do herself everytime ! With such fantastic natural talent and such passion about what she does, it's hard not to be utterly amazed and left wanting more. She proves that you don't have to be a 'stupid girl' to be amazingly sexy ! I've seen Pink in numerous arenas and festivals but Brixton is a fantastic venue - intimate and a great atmosphere !
- Emma, Yorkshire, UK, 15/08/2007 17:05
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I was there, it was absolutely brilliant... But with such a glowing review, why only 3 stars?
If the only 'glitch' is that two lines seemed slightly forced (neither of which are to be taken seriously by the way), a 3 star rating is ridiculous.
- Mr Pink, Manchester, 15/08/2007 16:23
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I was dragged along to Pink at Brixton last night by my girlfriend, who had planned to go with friends who decided they couldn't make it, but I have to say it was a great show. Pink has a really great voice that is equally at home in a soft ballad as it is in her more powerhouse songs. Hats off as well to her backing band, all of who showed they were more than just your average musicians. Definitely a gig to be remembered, if only because you are unlikely to see her at such an intimate venue again.
- Steve, London, UK, 15/08/2007 13:49
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