A fan since Pink’s RnB induced debut album ‘Cant Take Me Home’ back in 2000, her risqué leap to the often comic, sometimes defiant and cleverly written pop rock that she is known for today, surprisingly only managed to captivate me further, placing the 29-year-old on an untouchable pedestal all of her very own. After all how many other artists have the proven ability to smoothly and successfully transition across two hugely different music genres, appealing to fans of both cultures and selling out albums worldwide along the way?
Thanks to one of my nearest and dearest winning tickets on Kiss 100 (yes it would appear that people do actually win these competitions) I was presented with the opportunity to see if the cd’s, music videos and television performances across the years had justly portrayed Pink’s insane talent. The intimate affair was set to take place at Café de Paris and I was overwhelmed with excitement and confident that my high expectations would be met.
And that they were. To put it plainly Pink’s talent was ridiculous. Walking on stage in a dress adorned with Queen Elizabeth’s face and wearing funkdified black four inch ‘Union Jack’ boots, she was clearly out to please her crowd, whom although were appreciative of her efforts, I’m sure would have loved her performance as much if she was in her gym clothes. No? Just me? Ok then …
Opening her forty-five minute set with ‘Who Knew’ my first thought was that the materials I had used to form my opinion of Pink gave her little justice. Her voice was flawless and she made jumping around, let alone walking in high heels look effortless. Moving around the stage like a true rock chick as she sang high energy tracks such as ‘So What’, her first number 1 to date, and the new album entitled track ‘Funhouse’, her charisma emanated throughout the room and her energy was mirrored in the hundreds of fans lucky enough to have in their possession a valid entry ticket as they nodded their heads, sang along to the lyrics and shouted words of adoration in her direction.
From taking the time to interact with and answer questions from the audience, to assisting herself on an acoustic guitar as she sang ‘I Don’t Believe You’, and performing unique renditions of ‘Killing Me Softly’ by the Fugees and Gnarls Barkley’s ‘Think Me Crazy’ the set was a mix and blend of highlight after highlight. However maybe due to it’s time specificity there was one moment that particularly sent my emotions whirling from hope to awe and yet at the same time hurt and disgust – the ‘Dear Mr President’ introduction and performance.
Performing just hours before such a controversial presidential election, the topic was bound to come up. Showing a clear preference for Obama to win, introducing the track described as her open letter to George. W. Bush by saying ‘this will be the last time I can sing this song because our next president will be African and everything will be different’ Pink began to sing the heart rendering lyrics that personify the pain and suffering endured by many whilst under Bush’s reign. Captivated by contemplation the mood in the venue had taken a 180 degree turn from fun loving to mellow yet it only took a slight, comical remix of the lyrics at the end of the track to snap everyone back – ‘Dear Mr. President soon you won’t be able to take a walk with me. Thank God’.
I found myself almost waiting for Pink’s voice to falter, but instead she attacked every note harmoniously, in her own rock chick kind of way of course from start to finish. Left wanting more but realising they’d gotten more than their fair share, the crowd slowly dispersed from the edge of the stage to order a drink from the evil clown bartenders, grab a balloon from the mar de gras stilt walkers and get some candyfloss on the way out of the Funhouse.
All in all the night was definitely worth the £60 parking ticket I was greeted with when I got back to my parked car – long story.
(Review written November 3rd 2008)
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