Thursday 16 December 2010

Glam Nation: Los Angeles I


For the penultimate stop of Glam Nation, Adam returns home, sporting a massive glittery cockatoo hairdo. I'd been quite excited about this homecoming gig surrounded by all his friends. Here are my picks:



At the start of Fever there's a bit of tit-for-tat sparring with Tommy before the kiss. There's a little extra banter at the start of WWFM as a toy is thrown onto the stage. Adam likens it to the Flintstones' Bambam and with a raised eyebrow, tells us how he already put a bone in Tommy's hair. It's the electric version which has Adam walking around the stage, giving it a different energy. I'm grateful that the LA audience has discovered the advantages of shutting up for Soaked. I'd guessed that Alisan might be joining Adam for Aftermath and she looks tiny next to him. She sings mainly backing harmonies and from what I can tell from the recording, it works most of the time. It's interesting to see how similar their gestures are when they sing, mirroring each others' body language. They both have fun with it and that glory note gives me goosebumps.

Adam returns for SFW wearing a shirt under his jumpsuit. The random moment of the night sees a very leggy blonde drag queen "Raja" (Sutan) bring on Adam's coat and cane for Strut. At the start of IIHY, Adam explains the full-circle moment of having performed at this venue and met Monte exactly 6 years ago to the day. The hug they share is heartwarming. A showering of confetti adds a little magic to the performance. Adam seems to wait for a long time for Tommy to get out of the way so he can ascend the steps for the encore. There is a speech sprinkled with expletives as explains how ACIGC was Monte's suggestion. To the sound of a Citizen Vein "Circle" riff, he explains that this is the second lap of the full circle, the first one being the AI final. He talks about the political significance of the song and about getting knocked back along his journey then beams with pride about the success of his tour and his Grammy nomination. He gives a superb and moving rendition. There is a bonus TCB encore where he dresses Tommy in a boa and gets down. Those floor notes! How can he make those sounds in such a position? They are a marvel beyond belief and there is no better way to finish off a brilliant concert.

1 comments:

  1. Thankyou yet again for an excellent review. He was on fire that night. Best version ever of Sleepwalker. Loving your work (Denise)XX

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