Concert Review: Miguel

I was lucky to see Miguel open for Bruno Mars a few years ago but I did not know what to expect from a solo headline show. The show sold out rather early and the demand for tickets was so high that there was clearly something I did not know about him. The venue was literally packed to the edges. Logan Campbell Centre is one of those places that can be either packed & horrible, packed & good or empty & sad. Tonight I would say it was packed & good. There were a lot of people but the crowd didn’t seem to be going too crazy, a part from the screaming that is. The crowd was quite relaxed but also really got into it during some of his more well-known tracks. Miguel also worked the stage like he had all the energy he could ever need at his disposal. The live band that accompanied him added even more energy to the performance. With the clear audio, bold lighting and accompanying visuals, this show was set to be great from the start.

Something I have to give Miguel props for is the fact that amidst the range of songs he performed, he found time to use his platform and touch on the issues of today. Speaking about war, famine, disease, discrimination etc. But he also touched on how it’s good to stay positive and he believes everything is going to be alright. It was a nice touch because sometimes you just need someone to remind you, you can’t change the world by yourself but just keep on going. Miguel also touched on haters. How we all have them and that you should just continue what you’re doing and show them they don’t affect you. You could tell he truly meant the words he was saying and it was comforting, well to me it was.

The energy of the crowd really picked up when it needed to and they really came through on the sing-a-longs, the lights, the jumping etc. On top of having a great time, you couldn’t miss Miguel’s smile. He was clearly happy to be there, as were we. Miguel mentioned that they were grateful to everyone for coming out and then he acknowledged and introduced his live band Josh, Joe, RJ Kelly and Nick. Though he also mentioned “Auckland, New Zealand is nasty. I like that”. The screams from the crowd, got louder as he slowly went from a full on fluffy jacked to just a white singlet. It really made me realise how much of the crowd was actually female.

I tend to hate encores as I find it can really be a waste of time. Walking off the stage only to walk back on 5 seconds later, but Miguel did it well. The music came on, the lights got brighter and the doors opened. I really thought it was over. But then the band returned to the stage and Miguel played a few more songs. After the final song he thanked everyone again and departed the stage.

The passion and energy in the show was electric and if you’ve ever been on the fence about going to see him live, I’d definitely recommend it.

- Review and Photographed by Shelley Te Haara www.instagram.com/art.by.shelley