Archive for the ‘McFly’ Category

1 Aug

James Arthur Middlesbrough Riverside Stadium June 8 2024

Posted by vintagerock in James Arthur, McFly. Tagged: , , , , .

This was a massive undertaking, and some might say a massive risk for James Arthur. Sure, he had just undertaken a sell-out arena tour, but filling a football stadium is something else again. Even if it was his home turf. I just felt duty-bound to go along and support James at this massive homecoming show. After all, I have seen him perform a few times before including an intimate gig at the Boiler Shop earlier this year, which I greatly enjoyed. Plus, I can’t resist stadium concerts.

Middlesbrough Football Club announced the event thus: “Teesside singer-songwriter James Arthur has announced a huge homecoming gig. The Middlesbrough-born crooner and Brit Billion-certified artist announced on Monday that he would be performing a massive homecoming show at Riverside Stadium in June 2024. It will be his biggest headlining gig to date and will see him joined by special guests McFly as well as Lauran Hibberd.”

“The news comes months after James announced he would be releasing his fifth studio album, Bitter Sweet Love, which is set to be released on January 26 [which I saw him preview at the Boiler Shop at the time of its release] with multiple dates including UK arenas. The 35-year-old Boro fan said playing at his home stadium had always been a ‘pipe dream’ and he was ‘really honoured’ to be playing on home turf.”

On returning to his roots on Teesside, James said: “It’s truly unbelievable. I don’t think that I can put it into words. As someone who came to the Riverside as a young lad with a season ticket and walked through the turnstiles, it’s just crazy to think that people are going to be walking through the turnstiles to watch me perform. It’s very much like the end of a movie, a full circle moment. It has been a bit of a pipe dream of mine to play my team’s ground; I’m really honoured.”

On the day of the show, Jan, Harvey, and I ventured south to the ‘Boro to see how James would fare in the stadium concert. Just as we arrived at the ground, we could hear McFly finishing their set. I wrote just yesterday about how I saw many acts perform at the Olympic Torch Concert in The Mall, London during 2008. McFly were one of those performing on the day. So, it has been many years since I saw them perform, and I didn’t really see them this time (although I could hear a couple of familiar hit songs). The crowd gave them a great cheer as they finished their warmup performance.

As we entered the Riverside Stadium it became clear that the place was pretty full. James had succeeded in bringing together his home fan base to support him. The pitch was full, as were most of the stands. We had a splendid view opposite the stage, overlooking the crowd. After a short wait, and just enough time for a drink (expensive, in plastic glasses, you know the score) James took to the stage, opening the proceedings with the title track of his new album “Bitter Sweet Love”. The home crowd knew every song, singing along with every word.

James was clearly moved by the entire event. He said something like: “Thank you for making my dream come true. I was born just down the road in Redcar, and I was a season ticket holder for Middlesbrough, spending many happy Saturday afternoons in this stadium. To return home and play here is beyond my wildest dreams”. The guy was very emotional throughout the whole concert. The audience loved him.

I recognised several of the songs and enjoyed the entire concert. “Impossible” reminded me of taking my daughter, Laura, to see James at Newcastle City Hall just after he had won The X Factor. Soon it was over. The crowd gave him numerous standing ovations. James thanked everyone again. Jan, Harvey, and I made our way out of the stadium, searching for our taxi which we soon found. We all agreed it had been a highly enjoyable affair, and a triumph for James.

Many thanks to Harvey for the photographs and to Jan for helping me navigate the site. Thanks to Wikimedia Commons for the image of the Riverside Stadium.

Setlist: Bitter Sweet Love; Blindside; Empty Space; Can I Be Him; Comeback Kid; Sermon / Ready or Not; Rewrite the Stars; A Year Ago; Certain Things / Safe Inside / Quite Miss Home / Emily; Naked;     From the Jump; Train Wreck; A Thousand Years; Falling Like the Stars; My Favourite Pill; Car’s Outside  ; Young; Impossible; Homecoming; New Generation; Lasting Lover; Say You Won’t Let Go

11 Jul

The Olympic Torch Concert: Rod Stewart with Ronnie Wood in The Mall London 26th June 2004

Posted by vintagerock in Beverley Knight, Emma Bunton, Jamelia, James Brown, McFly, Ozzy Osbourne, Rachel Stevens, Razorlight, Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, Will Young. Tagged: , , , , , , , , .

The Olympic Torch Concert The Mall London 26th June 2004
olympictorchtixTickets were given away free, through a ballot, for this concert to mark the arrival of the Olympic Torch in London in 2004. The publicity at the time announced: “As the Olympics draw closer, London will host the Olympic Torch Relay and we have tickets to give away for the Olympic Torch Concert. It will be a landmark event for London and the UK as the torch is carried though 11 London boroughs on Saturday, 26 June. The Mall, for the first time, will become a gigantic open-air venue for 70,000 people, linking sport and music. Rock legend Rod Stewart will headline with James Brown and many other music stars such as Jamelia and Emma Bunton will also be performing in celebration of the Olympic flame coming to London” (BBC, 2004). David Campbell, chief executive of Visit London, said: “We are enormously proud to be associated with the Olympic flame’s visit to London, and are delighted at the support we have been given by all the artists for what will be a spectacular concert and day of entertainment. Visit London wanted to stage an event that encompassed the ethos of the Olympic ideal, bringing it to the people in one of the world’s most famous capital cities. We are confident that the Olympic Torch Concert and all the events on 26 June will do just that.” This was the first time the Olympic torch had come to Britain since 1948.
The full line-up of the concert was: Rod Stewart, Ozzy & Kelly Osbourne, James Brown, Will Young, Emma Bunton, Beverley Knight, Jamelia, McFly, Rachel Stevens, Razorlight. OlympicTorchprog Marie and I were lucky enough to score a couple of tickets in the ballot so we went to London for the weekend for this special event. We arrived early, but the place was completely packed, with the stage right down the bottom of The Mall. It was impossible to get anywhere near the stage, but video screens had bee erected along the length of The Mall to show the concert and the progress of the Olympic torch as it was carried through London boroughs by 140 torchbearers. Sir Roger Bannister, 75 at the time, and the first man to break the four-minute mile in 1954, started the relay and brought it to a close by running up the centre of The Mall onto the stage. Highlights of the concert were Ozzy and Kelly singing “Changes”, James Brown and Will Young dueting on “Papa’s got a brand new bag” and Rod Stewart’s short three song set, which featured the cast from “Tonight’s The Night” (a big West End success at the time) on “Sailing” and “Rhythm of my heart”. But more importantly the concert also featured Rod with his old Faces mate Ronnie Wood on guitar for “Stay With Me”. You can see it below on YouTube. We are right at the back of the crowd watching a screen 😦 We probably would have had a better view watching it on TV, but the atmosphere in London was great 🙂 .

Rod’s performance with Ronnie Wood made the day, and the trip to London, worthwhile for me. It was great to see the two of them performing together again, even it was only for a few moments, and it brought back many happy memories.