The genius of ‘king of pop’ Michael Jackson is this week celebrated in this dazzling homage. It is a reminder of his position in popular culture, bridging the gap between the earlier styles of blues and Motown and later styles such as rap, in an evening consisting of a sequence of high energy vocal and dance routines all backed by a superb onstage band directed by Andy Chisholm.
The first half consisted largely of the earlier songs and the music of the Jackson five before moving on to the hugely successful later albums. The five lead vocalists were uniformly good ( Jessie Smith’s rock inflected vocals being particularly impressive) though they were sometimes obscured in the mix as they ran through hit after memorable hit .Particularly good were Dirty Diana, Can you feel it, Beat it and Billy Jean.
It was, however, the dancing that was the undisputed strength of this show. Hugely energetic, intricately choreographed, sometimes raunchy and always executed with precision, this was a tour de force with numerous highlights such as Dangerous and Dancing Machine.
Audience participation was essential as the infectious disco/funk rhythms took hold and the throng clapped and danced the night away.
Thriller Live runs until Saturday.
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