The Weeknd
O2 ABC, Glasgow, 21/3/13
The Weeknd is one of the most mysterious artists to emerge in the last two years.
The star first rose to fame after rapper Drake posted a link to his first mixtape, House Of Balloons, on Twitter in 2011. Two more mixtapes were released online over the next year and it wasn’t until 2012 that The Weeknd revealed himself to be Abel Tesfaye, a 22 year-old Canadian/Egyptian singer-songwriter.
Since then Tesfaye has collaborated with high-profile artists such as Juicy J and Wiz Khalifa, as well as Drake. His debut album ‘Trilogy’ has been certified gold and he has been hailed as the return of “real R&B”. After winning a Grammy for his work on Drake’s album in February this year, it was time for The Weeknd to embark on his first UK tour.
He took to the stage at the O2 ABC on Sauchiehall Street on Thursday, March 21. This was the first time The Weeknd had ever performed in Glasgow and tickets sold out minutes after their release in December 2012, so the buzz was huge. Fans are said to have even started queueing outside the venue at 1pm in hopes of getting a spot in the front row.
The night started early, with doors opening at 6.30, and the audience fled into the intimate venue to take their place and wait for the enigmatic man to arrive. Fans started cheering as the opening bars of High For This rang out into the ABC.
The Weeknd is an artist who could easily fall fatal to too much hype. So many people have heard of him, yet not many know who exactly who she is. He’s extremely shy when it comes to press, which could cause him to alienate fans who are desperate to know more about the man behind the music. Fortunately, The Weeknd blew any doubt out of the water.
The star managed to captivate every single member of the audience – both male and female. With the blue-and-purple-hued lights turned down low, Tesfaye cut a down-to-earth figure in his signature black puffa jacket and trousers. Aided only by a guitarist, a drummer, and his personal DJ, The Weeknd stormed through some of his biggest hits including Glass Tables, Crew Love and The Knowing.
One highlight of the night was when The Weeknd played Loft Music. The track is one of the first he ever recorded and samples Gila by Beach House. Fans went crazy for the soulful tune as Tesfaye hit the notes flawlessly.
The gig was quite short, just an hour-and-a-half, which is a shame as The Weeknd has an impressive back catalogue considering he’s only been around for two years. It would have been nice to have heard more tracks, especially from his most recent mixtape, Echoes Of Silence. This criticism is only in compliment to Tesfaye, however, as what we did see on stage was truly special and won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
The Weeknd has proved that he is more than deserving of the reputation that precedes him. If he can cause this much buzz and pull off effortless performances like he did in Glasgow, it’s safe to say that this is only the beginning for the rising King Of R&B.
Image credit: Christian Bertrand / Shutterstock.com
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