Shayne Ward / Parade

Civic Hall, Wolverhampton on Tue 15th Mar 2011

Illuminous bunny ears, menopausal women and hand-made banners were the predominant features upon my arrival at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall. No less than what I expected from such a show really, as the clientèle of anticipated followers and fans queued in line, to witness a performance three years in the making, and, to the cynical, five years too late.

Supporting Shayne Ward on tour are five-piece girl group Parade, who opened the show with a band-less 15-minute set, painted with body-popping and overall shininess. Prior to their slot, their single 'Louder' was placed at number 7 in the UK singles charts, so I shouldn't really have been surprised by their enjoyable set. After all, if you are literally the proprietor's of the 7th most popular track in the UK, then a decent stage presence should be the lowest of expectations. The girls seemed genuinely excited to share the bill with Ward, and they loosened the crowd up nicely with beats to dance to. Their rendition of Cee-Lo Green's 'Forget You' was a bit of an easy crowd-pleasing move, but as a member of said crowd, I should have been happy that such joy wasn't being worked for.

After a 45-minute break, the lights were shut down, and revived by Ward's appearance to a soundtrack of a very harsh electric guitar riff. 'U Got Me So' jolted an audience into a small frenzy, postponing the archetypal swaying and lighter-waving for later on.

Two tunes in, and Ward addressed the crowd, with quite a warm tone. Undergoing such a strange career of having everything, then a lot less, and then partaking in a voyage for more, it's important to keep in mind that this is a performer who had to learn the tools of the trade very quickly. His early mass-audience gigs were easy, as the crowd had already been feasting on a starter menu of magazine articles, X-Factor performances, and all the media coverage that comes with it. Back then, Ward didn't have to say a word, but now, he was being properly consumed by ticket-buyers that he was clearly grateful for.

Credibility is not something that TV talent competitions bring to a performer's arsenal, which is why I was very reluctant to simply jump on the band-wagon of reviewers and writers who deem manufactured pop beneath them. Unfortunately, Ward does make it easy to climb aboard.

After six songs, Ward addressed the crowd, explaining to them that he had been listening to a lot of music since his last performance, and wanted to try something different. He began to list off major names of 2010; Plan B, Katy Perry and Tinie Tempah.

I began to plead that Ward wouldn't, but then he committed the sin, and began his rendition of the sublime 'Just The Way You Are' by Bruno Mars. Why he would ever force any audience to compare the two is completely beyond me in all honesty, especially when his fans seemed perfectly jolly at his performance to that point. Both artists couldn't have taken more different routes to record sales, and whilst Ward was hitting the notes cheerfully, the character and passion to ensure the successful delivery of that song just wasn't there.

This wasn't the only wrong turn that the show made, and even though I accept that this set isn't really aimed at me, I felt a few adjustments to the arrangements could have raised the show to a level that didn't just stir the arms and feet, but heart and mind.

Amid the glittery hits, Ward has at his disposal two extremely moving songs that, if performed correctly, could spurn a tear from even the most reluctant of listeners. Both 'Breathless' and 'No Promises' have this potential in abundance, and with a simple retraction of a baseline, or a reducing of tempo, those 7-or-so minutes of awe-filled enjoyment would leave an audience in emotional enlightenment and hard-clapping of appreciation. Sadly, both songs were underwhelming.

'Breathless, which Ward began to sing immediately after one of his major hits 'No You Hang Up', required at least a minutes gap for the audience to regain some composure. Instead, the song was backlit with a heavy bass, a loud backing singer and prompts to the crowd to get involved. If he simply sat on a stool, sang that song staring at the floor and had nothing but a talented pianist to accompany him, then he wouldn't have needed to tell the crowd to sing along. They already would be, but they would be too deep in thought to realise their reciting in their own minds.

Exactly the same can be said about 'No Promises', a lovely track that required so much emotional attachment, that its music video included a woman crying at her departed loved one's grave. But again, instead of an acapella version, the song was uplifted to the point where fans were, again, told to get involved. I was almost screaming at my own softness to wake up and feel what I anticipated prior to the show. But they were firmly asleep, which is a Shame, and completely not Ward's fault.

A few chops and trims for the rest of the tour, and the 'Up Close & Personal' show will be a great spectacle that all attendees will be thrilled about. Shayne Ward has one glaring talent; his vocal range, and it needs showcasing through charm, not predictability.

article by: Ryan Duggins

published: 16/03/2011 15:15



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