MY Jay Sean Concert Review
By Rupy Dhami
It’s been a while since I last heard him sing, almost over 10 years ago, when I was a teeny bopper, so when I won the tickets to see him I was like I’m not really into him anymore, but who am I to knock a freebie. My only dilemma was who to take with me my bhabi who keeps in food or my 13 year old niece who could be easily bribed to clean my room? My niece won.
The night started with me getting the venue confused and ending up on the opposite side of Birmingham, after the frantic dash across the city center (by the way google maps doesn’t know its lefts from its rights, or is that me mmmmmmm!!!) we managed to get to the Birmingham O2 to huge queues of predominantly teeny boppers the majority girls, but surprisingly groups of young boys hovering. We finally got in and I stood at the back looking on like a disapproving old lady (obviously had to create the right impression for my niece), waiting around for what seems an age for anything to happen..
Finally Talay Riley (not someone I’ve heard of until today) comes on and got the crowds going singing a few tracks off his album, fantastic voice although the songs weren’t really my cup of tea, I think definitely ones that would possibly grow on me, his rendition of Beyonce Halo was his best, for me.
Followed by another long wait for the next act, Skepta, again never heard of the guy, maybe I need to get out a bit to keep down with the cool kids. He sent the crowd into overdrive jumping up and down like lunatics, I’m pretty sure I was never like that 😉 slowly my niece edged forward, with me watching her like a hawk, my big sis would have killed me for losing her daughter at concert.
Finally he came on to screaming crowds and walked on looking rather dapper in a well cut grey suit with a little attitude, straight away I was thinking here we go, he’s made it big and got the attitude to match. I’m glad to say that opinion changed towards the concert, his charm, charisma and sense of humour came through in leaps and bounds throughout his performance. Not too sure of what his more recent stuff was, but he sang a lot of his old skool classics that got him out on the scene when I was first a devoted Jay Sean fan.
My favourite was definitely his first track Dance With You and surprisingly Juggy D appeared as if by magic out of nowhere to the screams of the crowds (including a few from me). His little mini beat boxer (as I now know him a.k.a. MC Zani) was fantastic and Jay treated the crowd to a bit of his own beat boxing which was impressive and very entertaining. By the end of the night I was jumping up and down with the rest of the crowds and it was my niece who was then shaking her head and looking at me very disapprovingly, well I couldn’t help myself it’s in my blood!!! And in my nieces own words “that was sick” (doesn’t that mean not well).