By Vaishali Desai

Hammersmith Apollo , London - 14 February 2005

When you think of Joe in concert on Valentines Day, you’d probably be expecting couples all around the arena swaying away to the soft vocals from him. However, anyone that was actually there will tell you something else. The sold out Apollo was packed with hyped fans ready for Joe and a good night out.

The night started off when Choice FM’s very own Dave VJ came out on the stage to announce that the host, Jigs, also from Choice FM, had cancelled to spend the day with his girlfriend. How charming! As the crowd wasn’t too pleased they decided to throw an upcoming artist on stage. Perry Morgan from CLS Entertainment came out and performed his first track ‘Freak’, although I guess it’s fair to say London was more interested in this guy’s looks than his music!

Now what more could possibly go wrong? Dave VJ was back again with some more news for us! He announced that every PA for the night was going to be late. The excuses such as ‘stuck in traffic’ were making the sold out arena pissed off. I mean after all, it was £30 a ticket. Dave VJ stopped the commotion by asking the audience members to come on stage and have a chance to shine! He managed to get three boys and a girl to come up on stage and sing to give the PAs enough time to get to their show!

After wasting 30 minutes, the PA’s decided to show up. First up was the stunning Zena. She got a good reception from the crowd, and she looked gorgeous! After she performed her new single and left the stage Dave VJ introduced the next PA right away. The Sparky Boys were next up, hyping up the crowd within seconds with their break dancing and body bopping. Also on stage were the Urban Ladiez who got a weak reception from the uninterested London crowd. Well what do you expect if you come out on stage half naked?! The beautiful Shola Ama made her entrance with her new track. After asking the ecstatic crowd what they would like to hear, she performed the hugely popular ‘Imagine’, as well as ‘Need Somebody’. As she left, the 17-year-old Nathan came onto the stage, sending the Apollo crazy! Girls were screaming at the top of their lungs and singing along to his hit single ‘Come Into My Room’.

The next guests up came all the way from Georgia, and go by the name of ATL. As soon as the beat dropped from the introduction off their album the arena was alive! The atmosphere was amazing. They performed their brand new single ‘Throwback’, ‘Calling All Girls’, ‘Holla At Ya Boy’ and the No.1 smash hit single ‘Make It Up With Love’. These boys deliver one heck of a performance! With their matching outfits, charming looks and terrific vocals, the boys tore the roof off the Hammersmith Apollo - they never fail to impress!

After a long and tiring wait, we were told Joe had arrived and wanted us to scream if we wanted him on. The noise from 5,000 fans was truly deafening! ‘I Wanna Get To Know You’ blasted out of the speakers and the dancers ran on the stage. As Joe came on dressed in baggy jeans, Air Force 1’s and a white tee, he performed ‘Ride Wit Ya’, followed by a few more hits, such as ‘Don’t Wanna Be A Playa’ and ‘Treat Her Like A Lady’. He then ran off stage and the band introduced themselves. Shortly afterwards, Joe returned in a crisp suit and shoes and sang his heart out to his ‘I Wanna Know’, ‘Good Girls’, and ‘More and More’. Joe left the stage with his dancers, and one of the band members made everyone scream once again if we wanted him back. Believe me, you didn’t have to tell this crowd more than once to start screaming. So Joe came back on stage, this time with a friend. His friend asked the crowd if they could hear him out and apologised for taking up their time. He asked his girlfriend to come on stage and explained their situation. He then got down on one knee and the crowd went ‘Aaah’! After she agreed to marry him Joe presented them with roses and dedicated his next song, ‘I’m In Love’, for them. He then sang ‘Ain’t Enough’, and rounded it off with ‘Priceless’.

Joe and concerts are like a match made in heaven. He never fails to deliver and everyone left the arena with good vibes. My response was truly amazing; he really is a living legend. His next album hits stores in the summertime and the 5,000 in that arena plus thousands more are sure to be waiting on it.

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