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Live Review
by Adrian Stoic
18-2-2004
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| N*E*R*D: Pharrell with an onstage friend |
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Live: N*E*R*D
Hammersmith Apollo, London
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
N*E*R*D: one night of spiced songs
They were at the Brit Awards earlier on and that [lack of soundcheck?] could be the reason that PA failed to work properly at the beginning of the show although it didn’t take that long to get where it should be for a perfect party. N*E*R*D are in town for one-off show, ahead of the new album, but that doesn’t interfere with general bonhomie this sell-out crowd was having.
The other thing that is inescapable with N*E*R*D - in their production guise as The Neptunes - is the fact they’ve worked with a lot of famous people. In any other case when a ticket states ‘Special guests’ you don’t expect more than some third-rate performer… With Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo you get the high class of guests (and plenty of stars in the auditorium - Noel Gallagher was seated nearby).
Five songs into the set, the guest they also had on during the last visit in November 2003, comes on - Justin Timberlake, the just Brits crowned Best International Male - to perform ‘Last Night’ from his solo album that was mainly written by the creative duo. Later on, Will.I.Am of Black Eyed Peas makes an appearance, as well as Dizzee Rascal and - Naomi Campbell.
The evening was further enriched by Hugo actually being there rather than staying behind and studio-tinkering, leaving Pharrell in charge of live activity. Williams, augmented by rapper Shay and backing band Spymob, does excellent job and, although the singer has improved in his role of a frontman, his vocals often sound weak and indistinct, falsetto especially, struggling to be heard over the pumping funk-rock.
With all the guests and musical diversity on offer, this is more of a musical review, a celebration of different kinds of music, heavy and upbeat, including the new songs that will chart with ease. Having already written one hit album in recent months for Kelis, N*E*R*D are ready to drop their second opus in late March. [The debut, ‘In Search Of…’, has just gone gold in the UK.]
Timberlake, Will.I.Am and Dizzee return for the climatic encores ‘Rock Star’ and ‘Lapdance’ to, as if needed, prove that this Virginia-based twosome are currently at the very centre of pop’s universe.
Adrian Stoic
18-2-2004
N*E*R*D’s album ‘Fly Or Die’ is released 22 March 2004 by Virgin
N*E*R*D’s single ‘She Wants To Move’ comes out a week earlier
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