Photo: WENN.com
Any preconceptions about what to expect from a live show by The Weeknd were extinguished after seeing him live in Birmingham this past Friday night. Forget the stool and a mic stand performance that his monochromatic music visually indicates, an energetic show was put on and fun was had by all.
With a combination of lights, cameras, and his extensive back catalogue, Abel Tesfaye stood from behind the wizard’s curtain to reveal himself to his fans. Hidden away for so long behind an air of mystery and murky creativity, it’s only recently that the Toronto native has become more accessible to the public - he explained to the fans on more than one occasion that it was only a few years ago that he left Canada for the first time. With his signature twisted locks and floating vocals, Birmingham played host to the first live show from The Weeknd since the release of his major label debut Kiss Land.
Working his way through album cuts such ‘Wanderlust’ and ‘The Town’, he cut the music at one point to acknowledge the importance of a particular record. Pouring his heart out on the track ‘Pretty’, a song about a former flame moving on but never quite being able to escape the feeling felt when with The Weeknd, the passion in his vocals was undeniably felt. With the XO movement in full swing, sex and drugs appeared to be the main topic of discussion.
With The Weeknd not only making suggestive movements toward the on-stage cameras, there were also repeated girl on girl sex tapes playing in the background. Revisiting fan favourites from his previous mixtapes-turned-album (Trilogy) - ‘High For This’, ‘What You Want’, and ‘Wicked Games’, he also ran through his Drake assisted tracks - ‘The Zone’, ‘Live For’, and ‘Crew Love’.
While there may have been the odd one or two misguided notes, The Weeknd sounds as good live as he does on tape. His haunting vocals pierce the heart and leave a trickling shudder rolling down your spine causing an artistically explicit image to form in your head. With Prince-meets-Lana Del Rey tendencies, he appears to have created a want, and in some cases a need. He’s one of the few artists today that fans actually want to invest themselves in. His live show further adds to the mystique and charm.
