Will Young: Live @ Wembley Arena

(Sun 1st October 2006)

Will Young has come a long way since he was propelled to stardom in 2001. He has managed to shake off his 'Pop Idol' image and emerged as a true survivor. With three albums under his belt, he has thrived on the experiences over the last five years and has become a truly credible act.

Young opens the show dressed as a pilot, surrounded by his dancing air crew. He is fully aware of his camp appeal and as he swaggers around the stage, he clearly relishes in performing live. There are far too many costume changes for an hour and a half performance. I counted seven. From a soldier to 70's presenter they were all unique and brought something different to the show. But the changes were slow and some unnecessary. Plus, I will never forget those almost pornographic jodhpurs when he dressed as a jockey.

Young has released a number of great songs yet few stood out. The songs ended up blending in and it is hard to tell which song was which. However, his voice was tremendous and roars around the arena. You can't help wishing that he was performing more solid tunes.

The show is very theatrical and funky yet there is a certain soul feel to the whole evening. It was a cross between a west end show and something more intimate. His rapport with the audience is first-class and his one-liners show a naughty side to him. You can see women turning to their friends exchanging the same remark throughout the arena, "Oh he is so cute…. if only!"

The highlights of the show were "All Time Love" featuring Young and full size ballerinas dancing in music boxes. It is visually stunning and very moving. As the audience sing the chorus, they love the impressive effects. I also enjoyed "Your Game" which got everyone on their feet and you could tell that he really enjoyed this one.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable concert. It was definitely a very camp act but most of the lewd comments went over the heads of his adoring female fans. He still had the polite charms from his pop idol days but was more confident and sleek. Even with the numerous slow costume changes and lack of depth in music choices, Young certainly has a way with the audience and you could clearly see that he loves performing live.

Reviewed by: Susy Johnson