Last month I finally had the opportunity to see my favourite artist, Drake perform live at The Hydro. After weeks of scrolling through Gumtree and Ebay to buy a ticket for his instant sell out show, I managed to haggle a ticket to see the Canadian rapper whilst he stopped in Glasgow during his world tour. Having missed out on seeing Drake on his ‘Club Paradise’ tour in 2012, I was delighted to get tickets to “Would You Like A Tour” or #WYLAT as the our was referred to on social media.
Drake and I had something in common that night in March; it was the first time for both of us to visit The SSE Hydro in Glasgow which opened in 2013. The building was electric when I entered. It was alive with a buzz of anticipation, bright lights and blaring music. Shaped like a large circular dome, the arena allows music to fill the space and bounce off of every wall, encapsulating you in sound. The building holds a fantastic atmosphere and as I took my seat I could see the whole arena with a perfect view of the main stage.
The Weeknd, another Toronto born rapper was Drake’s support and was first to take to the stage. The pair have worked together and collaborated a lot over the years, most recently in their song “Live For”. He did not fail to amaze the crowd with his talented vocals and softly charming demeanour, singing tracks from both of his hit albums “Trilogy” and “Kiss Land”. His set was simple, stripped back and beautiful, leaving the crowd rearing for Drake’s performance to follow.
Like most rappers, Drake is not the shy type. The lights dimmed and he made a dramatic appearance, rising from the ground of his set as the intro to his album “Nothing Was The Same” began to play. He commandeered the stage and filled the Hydro with his presence, moving around full of energy and enthusiasm. No need for backing dancers, with a simple set, all eyes were on him. He kept his audience on the ball, singing a mix of songs ranging from his latest album, “Nothing Was The Same” back to his oldest, “So Far Gone”.
The rapper kept the audience in the palm of his hand, stopping songs half way through and switching to a new one, rapping snippets and teasers, and all the while fully interacting with the room full of eager Scot’s.
With a few tricks up his sleeve to keep the audience entertained, Drake re-introduced The Weeknd to the stage, to perform with him during the show. He also brought one lucky fan on stage, performing to her and serenading her in front of the crowd – much to my envy.
During the show a large metallic construction was lowered from the ceiling so that it hung as a platform separate from the stage, hovering above the crowd where they stood. Drake climbed onto the circular runway and continued his performance from there, allowing him to get closer to his fans. He sang, pointed, waved and gave shout outs to the screaming masses, many of whom were waving Scotland and Canada flags to get the rapper’s attention.
As his show drew to a close Drake exited the same way he entered and was lowered off of the stage after the two hour set, leaving the audience slightly dazed and in awe of the performance they had just witnessed.
A true performer, Drake’s show was interactive and entertaining. He gave the audience what they wanted and has a visible love for what he does. In reply to his appropriately named tour, “Would You Like A Tour?” – yes, another one. And soon please.
Disclaimer:
All Photos are my own.
For news and updates on Drizzy Drake follow his twitter account or visit his website.
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Musical Musings 