HomeMusicAdam Lambert The Original High Tour, Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith live review

Adam Lambert The Original High Tour, Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith live review

Adam Lambert has been on the road with his The Original High Tour since New Yearā€™s Eve when he performed the first date in Singapore. Since then the tour has taken in dates in China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, UAE and North America. Earlier this week the tour made its way across the pond to kick off the European leg with Adam arriving in the UK last night for a show at Londonā€™s Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith. The show is one of two dates in the UK and the first chance fans have had to see Adam perform a solo show in this country in several years.

Arriving on stage at 9.15pm, anticipation for the show was high following stellar reviews from the other legs of the tour. Adam opened things up with Evil in the Night, the first of many songs taken from his latest album The Original High. Dressed in an eye-catching red outfit, that brought to mind martial arts, Adam kicked things off with high energy backed by his band and his two backing singers/dancers.

The set list for the night was slightly tweaked from the standard one heā€™s been performing on many of the dates. New single Welcome to the Show was added into the set early on and These Boys, one of the tracks on the deluxe edition of The Original High, was a surprising addition. Adam represented his three studio albums today selecting his best-loved singles and some fan favourites. Last yearā€™s single Ghost Town was a highlight of the evening as was the uptempo The Original High.

A couple of covers were thrown into the mix too. Adam paid homage to his American Idol roots with a cover of Tears for Fearsā€™ Mad World, pulled off a great tribute to David Bowie with Letā€™s Dance and the show came to a close with Queen classic Another One Bites the Dust.

Whataya Want From Me got one of the biggest audience reactions of the night and the song sounded as fresh today as it did on its original release. Other stand out moments included the soaring Another Lonely Night, the poptastic Fever, and the dark grooves of the much under-rated Underground.

The one thing about the show that simply has to be commented on is Adamā€™s vocals. From beginning to end he blew me away with his power and range. He didnā€™t miss a single note and he sounded incredible throughout. Adam really does have a powerhouse voice that is incredible versatile. Hearing him singing pop (For Your Entertainment), R&B (Underground), disco (Shady), rock (Lucy) and everything in between, you realise he could probably sing anything and still sound amazing.

The energy was high throughout too. Adam danced his backside off with his backing dancers and he worked the stage with ease. He looks incredibly comfortable performing and save for a few costume changes, he was barely off the stage for the near 2 hour show.

The only real criticism I can level at the show is that the audience interaction, at least for the first half, was fairly minimal. The customary three songs and ā€˜Hello Londonā€™ never happened and it wasnā€™t until nearly halfway through the set that Adam interacted with the audience. The reason is likely because of the volume of material he had on his set list and the audience didnā€™t seem to mind all that much.

Last nightā€™s show was a fantastic one and a great payoff for fans in the UK that have waited (what feels like) a long time for Adam to play solo. From the stellar vocals to the hits-packed set list, everything about the show was on point. A true one of a kind performer, Adam is in a league of his own and his appeal, judging from the crowd last night, is universal. Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood may be hailed as the biggest stars to come out of American Idol, but Adam Lambert is certainly the most interesting.

Set List: 1. Evil in the Night 2. For Your Entertainment 3. Ghost Town 4. Welcome to the Show 5. Runninā€™ 6. Chokehold 6. Sleepwalker 7. Underground 8. Rumors 9. Lucy 10. After Hours 11. Mad World 12. Whataya Want From Me 13. Another Lonely Night 14. The Light 15. The Original High 16. Never Close Our Eyes 17. Letā€™s Dance 18. Lay Me Down 19. Shady 20. Fever 21. These Boys 22. If I Had You 23. Trespassing 24. Another One Bites the Dust Performance Date: 14th April 2016

Pip Ellwood-Hughes
Pip Ellwood-Hughes
Pip is the owner and Editor of Entertainment Focus, and the Managing Director of PiƱata Media. With over 19 years of journalism experience, Pip has interviewed some of the biggest stars in the entertainment world. He is also a qualified digital marketing expert with over 20 years of experience.

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