The O'jays Live At The O2 Arena

[Daved]

I've got mixed feelings about the concert. When they were good, they were awesome. Particularly when they sang My Favourite Person and Darling, Darling Baby - they had the place rocking.  I didn't think the playlist was exactly what I wanted. They didn't sing some key songs like Message In Our Music and Put Our Heads Together. The performances were great from all three. I was particularly impressed with Walter Williams.

 

I was disappointed that the show was a bit short and there was no encore. For £50 you'd think you'd get that. I still had a great time though.

[Ian Dewhirst]

I've got mixed feelings about the concert. When they were good, they were awesome. Particularly when they sang My Favourite Person and Darling, Darling Baby - they had the place rocking.  I didn't think the playlist was exactly what I wanted. They didn't sing some key songs like Message In Our Music and Put Our Heads Together. The performances were great from all three. I was particularly impressed with Walter Williams.

 

I was disappointed that the show was a bit short and there was no encore. For £50 you'd think you'd get that. I still had a great time though.

 

I kinda wish I'd gone on the Friday. Great as it was, I thought the Thursday show was their standard U.S. show which included some numbers that weren't as popular in the UK as they were in the U.S. They were great on Thursday but there were some significant omissions, some of which got included on the Friday night I believe. I thought they still had it vocally. Great group. 

 

Ian D 

[Anais nin Carms]

Thursday night took us to Greenwich London where we met up with a few friends to have one of those privileged soul experiences that stay with you for a very long time.   It was to see the O’jays perform at “Indigo” a satellite venue contained within the massive O2 arena. Entering the O2 is so spectacular it feels like you are entering into a giant space ship full of individual pleasure domes with unique mood lighting resulting in an ambiance of much excitement and great expectation. It’s surrounded with some very artistic buildings sculptures and wide avenues to herd the people forward into the enormous cavern of night pleasures creating a “build” in anticipation of what is ahead.

 

The concert venue was actually very intimate and had a sort of night club feel to it. It had what is commonly known as stalls this being a standing or dancing area and then several tiers of seating up above. We were in the seating area looking down on the stage. Being honest I would have to say it felt a little quiet to me, it could be that I am used to being in the stalls at concerts or it could have been that this being the first night of their tour and it being a Thursday it meant that there was going to be a few empty seats as most would have selected Friday or Saturday night as their preferred ticket options.

 

Ahead of the performance there was a Dj warming the clubbers up with a selection of Philadelphia type sounds of which some enticed a few to actually start dancing in the upper balcony as well as the lower stalls. We did see a few familiar faces from all over the country that we knew.

 

I must say I felt a little concerned, this being their first night I felt that they may have felt a little underwhelmed at not seeing a capacity crowd. It could be that my own expectations were too high as I wanted the best of welcomes for them on their first night , as it turned out my concerns were a bit silly a few empty seats did not detract them from their performance at all.

 

The guys being “professionals” came out and gave us their very best and delivered every title with such perfection with so much ease that you could be forgiven for forgetting how old these guys actually are, their experience in performing over the years was self-evident capitalizing in capturing every ear in the house. Their moves on stage were choreographed to perfection they looked so amazing.

 

The youngest member has been with the two elders for twenty years alone, and the two elders have known each other from being seven years of age. They are now in their seventies I think you will agree that is some achievement, true brothers of soul.

 

With regards to the actual performance for me it was the slower tempo tunes which really showcased how each vocalist had perfected the training of each voice over the years to deliver the most perfect of soul marriages resulting in one unifying sound that embraced your affection to almost make you feel like crying, the emotion displayed by each one was so moving. In fact I would have to say each one of them as an individual voice could have made it in their own right.

 

The crowd lapped the songs up often standing and dancing in their seats many shouted their favorite tracks, we also had a few laughs at Walters sexy delivery , well with a  voice like that I bet he could charm the birds from the trees. The two hours went by so quickly taking us up and down the with a roller coaster of tempos ending with a fabulous finale being the funky sounding “For the love of money”

 

We all went home happy and wanting more which is how every true professional wants to leave a stage.  I heard the Friday night spawned a capacity crowd and the performance was as polished as the night before. 

[Shawky]

Many great words have already been said, just to add. They were immense and what a band to back them up.

always wanted to see the O'Jays as one of my favourite bands. That's another tick in the box of legends we have see.

We may never see them on these shores again, let's hope we have convinced them to come back as I don't think they could believe what an appreciative crowd we soul family are.

[Guest Carl Dixon]

Can you imagine if somebody brought them across for a 60's/early 70's review!! They would not believe their eyes! I would easily pay those proces to see those songs sang live by the original 2 singers etc. 

 

Ainis - what a lovely review, thank you. And yes, I was the first one dancing on Friday night - ecstasy, well when they played 'I'll always love my mama' by The Intruders.

Edited September 21, 2014 by Carl Dixon