The sun goes down,
He takes the day but I'm grown,
And in your grey, in this blue shade
My tears dry on their own
Wow. That's what I have to say about the Amy Winehouse concert we saw last night at Brixton Academy.
What a contrast to my day spent amidst the idyllic and posh surroundings of North London. Brixton is in the heart of South London - rough, working-class, agressive. And as is the case with many struggling communities throughout the world, music is continually born there and rises above its humble roots to fill the space with passion and feeling.
Along with having been the home to a select number of artists, most recently the Streets, Brixton is the birthplace of both David Bowie and Mick Jones. Talk about street cred!
The theater iself is great, both acoustically and spacially. The first floor slopes downward, so that anywhere you stand offers an unobstructed view of the stage.
The crowd waited anxiously for Amy to come onstage, remembering other concerts where she has kept the audience waiting and then refused to play. Estimated on-stage time: 9:15pm, actual arrival time: 10:00pm.
She looked much prettier than I expected. She wore her signature beehive and exaggerated eye liner, with a micro-mini dress that showed off her impressive gams. It didn't seem extreme - it worked for her. Contrary to her media image, she was neither emaciated nor intoxicated, and gave a fantastic performance. Her band and back-up singers were full of energy and the music was awesome!! The show incorporated elements of soul, r & b, ska and Amy's own personal style. Her voice is incredible, defying race, age or era. Every song was arranged and performed perfectly.
All in all, one of the best shows I have seen in this year.
UPDATE 11/27: I just read that Ms. Winehouse has cancelled the rest of her tour, due to health reasons and under doctor's orders. It was a miracle that we got to see her!
