Will Young – Live in Sheffield

By Lee Hudson

The last time I saw Will live was in a huge arena with Gareth Gates and assorted other pop Idolers. I was sitting right at the back and had trouble seeing anything but a small speck in the distance, whilst the crowd going mad more or less drowned out much of the singing. However, Will had become our first modern day reality talent show star and it was purely on the back of his fantastic voice, not through mock publicity and PR stunts.

I have all his albums and to say I am a fan would be an understatement, however, I hadn’t seen him live for quite some time so I was excited that in the more cozy confines of Sheffield City Hall I would be able to hear what my hero was singing.

He didn’t disappoint.

Oddly enough, I was a tad upset that his show wasn’t more spectacular and, well, showbizzy, but there again, that isn’t what Will is about. His quirky stage entrance through a front door in the middle of the stage (?) gave way to over 90 minutes of sublime songs, sung by one of the UK’s best talents and didn’t need all the clever lasers and fireworks. That’s not to say there weren’t moment of theatricality, after all, that’s where Will honed is talent, but in the main it was and is his voice, delivery and pretty darned good songs that make Will more likely to last in our ever-changing pop echelon.

He sang his hits, songs from his album; he reinvented his first hit Evergreen and even gave us a stunning version of the Kate Bush classic, Running Up That Hill. So, by the end what we all wanted was more… and… in true showbiz fashion that’s how he left us… wanting more and looking forward to his next album and tour. I for one cannot wait.