RnB Fridays Presents Fridayz Live @ Entertainment Centre, Adelaide 6/11/2022
Continuing the ever-popular RnB vibes, RnB Fridays Presents Fridayz Live came to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Sunday night with a banging line up for Australia’s Biggest Party! Hosted by the “Can I get a whop whoop?” Fatman Scoop and Hit Network announcer Abbie Chatfield and tunes spun by the ever-colourful DJ Yo! Mafia in her makeshift boombox visual imaged DJ booth, who all kept the vibes high and the energy even higher! Fridayz Live is the concert for anyone who loves old school RnB, Hip Hop and Reggae Fusion. This year’s line-up was as lit as the fireworks on stage bringing together some of the best acts with the biggest hits and the crowd lapped up every bit!
DJ Yo! Mafia was up high in her DJ’s box for all to see, churning out big hits and classic anthemic songs of the 90s, noughties and now. Mafia kept the vibes pumped playing all the crowd-pleasing songs that the made sure the party game was strong. Playing the J-Kwon hit Tipsy, you just knew ‘e’rybody in this bitch gettin’ tipsy’ like a full-on indoor rave party.
First artist to hit the stage was Lumidee ‘uh-oh-ing’ her way through her big hit Never Leave You. Dru Hill brought all seven members to town to celebrate their twenty fifth anniversary as a band. Making sure we got all the hits How Deep Is Your Love, What You Need intact with sexy hip swinging and Beauty “for all the sexy ladies” before lead singer Mark “Sisqó” Andrews leaving the stage throwing his jacket to the crowd for one lucky fan.
At this point, it was the start for the rest of the night, where we would hear the classic lines “Where all ma ladies at?” “Where all ma SEXY ladies at?” “Jump! Jump! Jump!” “Adelaide make some noise!” “I wanna hear you scream!” and “Put ya hands up!” If a RnB artist doesn’t say one or all of these lines, are they even at Fridayz Live? There were plenty of highs (in more ways than one!) and all the stereotypical RnB moves and grooves were there that always keeps the crowd coming back to these shows.
Before Jay Sean took the stage the customary big blow-up bouncy balls come on for the crowd to keep themselves amused for a brief moment but once he hit the stage no one cared about those balls. He got the crowd pumping and jumping with Do You Remember and Ride It but the biggest reception was for Down with everyone recognising the intro only seconds in, but then giving an even bigger roar for mega hit Tonight.
There’s always that one artist that commands the stage and tonight’s was Shaggy. Strutting in like he owns the Adelaide Entertainment Centre with the crowd willing to give him the title deeds, he demanded in his sexy bass voice that everyone “Scream!” and yep! Everyone screamed! Like a hot sweaty mess, the crowd lapped up all his sexy hip swinging and swaying to Boombastic, Summertime, Angel and Sexy Lady before the crowd totally went off to It Wasn’t Me where they ended up singing it for him…loudly! Shaggy made sure which music genre was boss proclaiming he was going to “play his Reggae not this RnB shit!” sampling some of Reggaes finest songs from Bob Marley and that classic Inner Circle hit Bad Boys. Mr Lover Lover came, he sang and he conquered!
Ashanti complete with back up dancers delivered with hits Baby, Whats Luv?, Rock Wit U, Always On Time, and Foolish also reminding us of her till this day being the current Guinness World Record holder for Fastest Selling Debut Artist for a female artist. It took a while for Fatman Scoop but he made a grand entrance with roars of approval, giving the people what they know and love; “Put yo hands up!” “Hundred dollar bills!” “Everybody jump!” “Single ladies!” I dare you to read those lines without hearing his booming voice! Fatman and Abbie played the ‘Don’t forget the lyric’ where two lucky audience members got to win a meet ‘n’ greet with TLC! Another one got to meet Macklemore!
After the last few acts, it was nice to hear a live band. Craig David brought his four-piece band with two backup singers and graced the stage for a set of hit after hit after hit. Starting with What’s Your Flava?, Fill Me In, DNA (dedicated to the late Coolio), Walking Away and the soulful Rise and Fall the crowd were enraptured by David’s coolness and his voice was better than ever. The last few songs got the crowd revved up as he showed off his fast rap skills on Artful Doger then singing his Kaytranada hit Got It Good and finishing up on the popular 7 Days.
If there was one artist who was determined to get up close and very personal with his fans it was Akon! Singing most of his songs standing on the edge of the front barricades bumping and grinding making sure that everyone around him got a hand touch. Left, right or centre everyone got a shot to watch him sing, super up close and even though he asked “Adelaide make some noise” the crowd were already a step ahead of him as it was pretty damn loud in the arena! The hits were sung, and sung with gusto; I’m So Paid, Locked Up, Smack That, Dangerous, Don’t Matter Believer, Beautiful, Play Hard and the two crowd favourites Sexy Bitch and Til The Sun Rise Up.
T-L-C!!! T-Boz and Chilli walked on stage “like a peace in a groove, on a Sunday afternoon!” all looking fine in their silver glittered costumes, beginning with songs from their 1992 debut album Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip; Ain’t Too Proud to Beg, What About Your Friends and Baby, Baby, Baby. While some of the younger audience may not remember such hits it didn’t go lost on the more mature aged fans. Supported by a six-piece band including a brass section and four dancers the hits from their popular album CrazySexyCool were all there; a jazzy version of Diggin’ Scene, Creep and a sexy, sultry red light version of Red Light Special. Songs from the album Fanmail that made the cut were Unpretty, where the audience joined along in acapella to the chorus and No Scrubs which brought the house down but the song that everyone was waiting for before the set ended was the ultimate favourite, Waterfalls.
DJ Havana Brown was at the McDonald Front of House DJ booth playing banger after banger from Rhianna, Salt n Pepa, Mariah Carey and much, much more until the final act of the night graced the stage: Macklemore! All dressed in matching green themed outfits they four-piece band began with hit CHANT with special guest Tones and I. The duet brought roars of approval from the sold out arena with Macklemore declaring “you came to sweat, you came to dance and you came to PARTY!” Making sure everyone got up on their feet he sang Thrift Shop, Same Love and Downtown before getting two young ladies from the audience to dance off before singing Dance Off. The band were in full force and the party had well and truly started. Macklemore had his audience to preach to stating “Forget your Tik Tok and Instagrams. Nothing can compare with the energy of a live performance!” and right he was! In fact, it was Glorious, Good Ole Days (again with Tones and I) and Can’t Hold Us to finish off the end of another successful RnB Fridays instalment of which was Fridayz Live!
Live Review By Anastasia Lambis