REVIEW: EXAMPLE AT CARDIFF MOTORPOINT ARENA (20/04/12)
Three years after supporting Lily Allen in the same venue, Example returned to the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff to headline an arena show for the very first time. If he was nervous about the occasion you couldn’t tell as he put in a confident and highly impressive performance in front of a packed crowd.
An early and unexpected highlight was the American warm up act Alvin Risk. His electro mash ups like ‘We Are Young’ had the young and lively crowd bouncing well before Example had even set foot on the stage. Sensational.
With the high energy tone well and truly set, Example opened his mammoth 22 track set with his number one single ‘Stay Awake’. A perfect choice that had the audience in the palm of his hand right from the off. While energetically using the whole of the stage to perform, his interaction with the crowd was limited to occasionally introducing a song or directing everyone to clap their hands. However, it was his music itself that made the show so memorable. Performing both older tracks like ‘Watch the Sun Come Up’ and the amazing ‘Kickstarts’ in addition to the more recent ‘Midnight Run’ and ‘Wrong in the Head’, he also introduced his brand new collaboration with Calvin Harris, ‘Coming Back’. This is sure to be a huge hit when it is released in the summer.
Track after track, neither Example’s or the crowd’s energy waned and this made for an incredible atmosphere and a truly brilliant show. Having seen the 6,000 strong crowd go absolutely crazy when he encored with ‘Changed the Way You Kiss Me’, Example would have rightly left the stage with absolutely no doubts that he is well worthy of his own arena tour.
Words and photo: Chris Williams
