Barton Aerodrome have hosted a number of wonderful open air events at the very end of summer, some of them boasting beautiful weather, and UK R&B boy band JLS was set to deliver another brilliant show full of amazing choreography, stunning vocal harmonies and eternal bangers from the late 2000s that we’ve all come to love over the years.
Lemar took to the stage first and you’d quickly notice the age differences between members of the audience. Many will not remember Lemar or Fame Academy but he had 30 minutes to introduce himself to the young impressionable audience and remind the older impressionable audience that he’s still got it.
Lemar made a point of talking about reestablishing yourself for a younger audience and staying relevant and he did this by including contemporary covers of Same as Before by Harry Styles and even the white girl national anthem, A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Cartlon.
Lemar was backed by his ultra tight guitar player Angelo and they two of them laid down a silky smooth set of soulful R&B music which got an excited crowd ready for more. The set included classics like Dust and Soulman, the former of which proclaimed “I’m a soul singer” loud enough for the helicopter pilots to hear.
JLS finally got ready for the stage and with a series of ultra dramatic lighting and videos, they burst on the scene with tight choreography and high energy with Eyes Wide Shut. The audience was varied in demographic but so many of them knew the words and dance moves as they thrashed and danced and screamed their lungs out throughout the night.
Many will remember the backlash against JLS back in the late 2000s and the accusations of them being just another cog in the X Factor Industrial Complex but their latest material and shows indicate that they’re actually passionate and dedicated musicians. The band worked hard to create a warm atmosphere in a metaphorical sense, they used Pyrotechnics for a more literal sense.
Each member of JLS showcases immense vocal talent and their ability to harmonise is beautifully as evidenced on the mash up of Finesse and Day One which also featured a killer dance break. There’s talent in almost every avenue the band attempts and the fact JLS are written off so quickly is utterly ludicrous.
The Hottest Girl in the World and Do You Feel What I Feel are quintessential 2010s pop music, none of it feels overly cerebral or deep but that adds to the charm. It’s a fun filled atmosphere that many modern artists strive for but just can’t reach. A JLS show may not be the most high brow show you’ll ever attend but you’ll certainly have fun and isn’t that the overall purpose of art?
The band played a full set of classics including One Shot, She Makes Me Wanna, Everybody in Love and of course, the inescapable banger Beat Again. I hadn’t heard many of these songs in over a decade and with each new track, I was flashbanged by nostalgia as I loudly screamed “wait, this was them? “. Their back catalogue is undeniable and the showmanship is at just the same high calibre.
If you weren’t around during the original run, be sure to invest in a ticket and reintroduce yourself to Marvin Humes, JB Gill, Aston Merrygold and Oritsé Williams. Truly one of our greatest exports in the grand and glorious history of British pop music. There’s no telling how long they’ll be back but it’s still incredible having them back and active in the music scene after having been gone for so many years.
Words by Dale Unsworth
Photos by Chris Ryan
