A childhood dream was fulfilled on Sunday night. The lights went out, the crowd went wild. Then Katy Perry appeared on the stage. I felt like I had died and gone to heaven, with my little sister beside me, equally excited.
Swedish duo, Icona Pop opened with a fantastic performance. The crowd were behind them as they pumped Glasgow’s Hydro with bass so loud, the seats were rattling. Their stage was stripped back – bare, with their name in 8-bit graphics behind them. They saved their best known song, I Love It, until the end, and gave the audience a taste of what they’re about. They let their music speak for them, with no self-promotion to be found, and it definitely worked. They know how to have fun and avoid the sickly sweet image associated with girl bands. They have a punk edge and, despite not knowing them very well before the show, I’m definitely a convert now.
Then it was time for the big performance, and Katy Perry did not disappoint. She opened with Roar and had the entire crowd singing along from then on. She mixed the songs from her latest album, Prism, with her classics like California Gurls, Hot N Cold and I Kissed a Girl, which was great.
Katy pulled out all of the stops for this show, and really put in her all. Every song was fantastic, along with each dance routine, light show and special effect. There was a laser light show. There were flying guitarists with spark-shooting guitars. It was impossible to keep track of how many outfit changes there were. She went from being covered in lights, to being an Egyptian Goddess and then she wore a pink, glittery catsuit.
Towards the second half of the show it slowed down a little and she played an acoustic set, which was a nice change of pace. It pushed back the razzle-dazzle to show that she is a talented singer, not just a good performer. Unconditionally and By the Grace of God were particularly good. She took the time to thank her fans and even had a pint of Tennent’s – it was quickly given to a member of the audience, but at least she made an effort to do things the Scottish way!
Once it started to pick up again, it was clear that she and the crowd were having a lot of fun. She channelled an 80s vibe by sitting under a bucket of confetti, reminiscent of Flashdance, and even had a Vogue moment.
Katy balanced sexy and funny really well, playing for the range of ages in her audience. It meant that everyone could enjoy it and have a lot of fun. I came away from it with a sore throat and a big smile, and would recommend going to one of her concerts to anyone.
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Image: Cass Bird
