Amelia Brookes and Amelia Gibbs
With an impressive catalogue of hits, and a concert that promised to be worthwhile for those who waited years for the show to go ahead, two Impact reviewers- Amelia Brookes and Amelia Gibbs- were keen to see Dua Lipa’s pop–savvy in full force.
Dua Lipa is a spectacular performer. Before the rest of the review, this needs to be said. She has a stage presence that has only gotten better over the years, and her dancing is polished and tightly choreographed. During the performance, we were both sitting thinking, ‘Is there such a way to walk like a superstar? Because she’s doing that!’
The costuming is reminiscent of the dancing and exercise culture of the 80s and early 90s, complete with baggy-chic tracksuits and neon roller-skates, with hints of Madonna in the bright neon bodysuits that Dua and her dancers wore.
Props have to be given to Dua for creating an atmosphere that was both faithful to the album itself, but also to all of her fans
The stage theming was also flamboyant in its presentation, with a giant inflatable lobster making an appearance during We’re Good, and mass amounts of confetti during the last musical number, where members of the audience were encouraged to stand up and dance.
Everything about this performance fit the theme of the album it was representing – ‘Future Nostalgia’ – with aplomb. Props have to be given to Dua for creating an atmosphere that was both faithful to the album itself, but also to all of her fans, who showed up to the Motorpoint Arena dressed in theme, with fluffy hair, green and pink cropped jumpers, bright jewellery and face glitter.
[Griff] certainly held her own on that stage
Griff as the opener was a thematically different but excellent choice. One of us knew a few of her songs beforehand, and was happy to see her perform them during her set. The other was unfamiliar with her, and impressed with her ability to write and perform music as memorable as Dua’s herself. With wonderful vocals and styling (bubble plaits are lovely, we need to make them a trend again!), she certainly held her own on that stage. We can’t wait to see her succeeding further in her career!
Dua’s vocals were also impressively strong; despite the intricate choreography, her energy and skill barely faltered once from the very start to the very end – an impressive feat for an almost hour and 45 minute performance that consisted of mostly lively numbers. Even her performance of Boys will be Boys, one of her slower-tempo additions to the setlist, was performed with an energetic presence.
She effortlessly commanded the stage, delivering notable vocals and captivating dance
While it was enjoyable to see Dua interact with her dancers, and always exciting to see her fall into flawless step with them for choreographed moments, Dua really shone when she was performing solo. She demonstrated this best in her encore performance of Future Nostalgia, in which she effortlessly commanded the stage, delivering notable vocals and captivating dance as she seemed to lose herself in the moment of performing.
One of the hang-ups that we both had with the show, however, was that there was a distinctly faraway feeling to it, as if we were watching Dua Lipa through a TV screen. The show was almost so polished that it felt somewhat, though there was one touching moment where Dua spoke of her memories of playing in Nottingham at the outset of her career.
Audience participation was, in our view, definitely lacking – the few segments in which she did speak to the audience fell short of really interacting with them, and while that’s not the main draw of seeing your favourite artist perform live, it is something that makes the atmosphere of a concert much more personal and special. Some of the performances were also, personally, not to our tastes, but we are aware that everyone has their own skips on even the albums that they really like.
Still, with her retro-tinted presentation and dynamic performance, Dua has proven herself worthy of the two year wait that some fans endured while the tour was postponed. She delivered with a setlist packed full of hits, and a show that was, if not as personal as we would have liked, undoubtedly energising and impressive. It’s hard to imagine that any Dua Lipa super-fans would come out of the show feeling underwhelmed.
Amelia Brookes and Amelia Gibbs
Featured image courtesy of Alex Watkin. Permission to use granted to Impact. No changes were made to this image.
In-article images courtesy of Amelia Gibbs. Permission to use granted to Impact. No changes were made to these images.
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