Review of South African concert

[Jozi]

Hi Guys.

Before Lauryn
I was at the concert last night. Sorry I don't have any recordings, but I'll try to give you a detailed account of what happened. The concert kicked off at 8pm with some local acts opening the show. Very energetic performances and we hyped up about what was to come out later. After the local acts finished, things started going downhill. Firstly, Regina was to perform first and boy she made us wait close to an hour before she got on stage.

Apperanlty the her sound man had problems tuning one of the guitars. We were totally pissed, because no one wanted to Regina in the first place! They were just wasting our time. She finally came on and did a couple of songs. The crowd responded well.

Ms Hill Performs

After Regina finishes, we were told to be patient as Lauryn's band was setting up.At this point the crowd was totally psyched up for her arrival. But this soon died as we had to wait for yet another hour before she came on. There was definately something happening backstage: Regina was pissed off when she came on and boy was lauryn pissed off! The crowd was restless and began booing the MC. At this point Lauryn steps onto the stage, holding a bible, and the crowd goes wild!!!

She looked like she had just stepped out of a 60s movie. She wore those high-waste jeans she wore at the BET awards, she had a leather jacket, some high platform shoes, and two scarves around her neck. She was dressed for winter, but Joburg isn't that cold this time of the year, perhaps she was sick. Ofcourse she also spotted the infamous afro. This time it just seemed to overpower her face, it was huge!

She stared into the crowd while everyone was clapping. She said:"We were going to do an acoustic set for you, but I've decided to flip it!" And I think everyone clapped because they were relieved that she wouldn't do unplugged. Her band consisted of two DJs: JPeriod and some other dude, a drummer, and a base player, and a South African dude who played drums. Her backup singers were no where to be found, no horn section, no keyboard. One got the feeling that she was not prepared and that this would be an impromptu performance.

Lost Ones

She instructed JPeriod to drop a beat. He did and then she started "It's funny how money change a situation"! We went bananas and rapped along with her. The energy was good, she was smiling jumping around, mixed the song with a couple of beats. Voice was very crisp and strong.

Conformed To Love[/U

Then without warning, she sat down, picked up her guitar and started strumming. She asked if we could hear her voice well. She then started mumbling along. I know this song but I couldn't make out what she was saying. It was a horrible moment, at one point I couldn't even look at the stage. In the middle of this, she seems pissed with the drummer and instructed him to increase the pace.

Social Drugs
Again not much to talk about here. At this point Ms Hill had just "zoned" out as she was oblivious to the crowd's restlessness. in the background, her manager looked concerned that she would booed off the stage. Some people couldn't bear seeing Lauryn at her worst and started streaming out of the venue. The faithfulls gave mandatory applause after every song.

War
Same as above, nothing special here. One girl shouted:"Lauryn you are killing us softly with your songs" Everyone just laughed

Fugees Songs

With some divine intervention, Lauryn realised that the acoustic stuff was not being well recieved and so again she improvised. She got up and introduced four South African girls who were going to do back up vocals for her. She then told JPeriod to drop a beat - poor J was like a schoolchild trying to please his teacher. He was totally confused as he looked to her for direction.

She did How Many Mics- which was awesome. The crowd jumped and sang along with her. She was dancing like crazy- her tiny legs flying into the air. Next it was Fugeela, beautiful singing, the crowd sang the chorus with her. The energy in the crowd was back! J dropped Ready Or Not and we all went crazy. At this point she was just feeding off the crowd, pointing the mic in our direction. She did it beautifully and one girl shouted "Lauryn you are beautiful" She looked at the girl and said "I know Iam beautiful, but you are just as beautiful.

Then my favourite part of the night - She sang Killing me softly. From the first note the crowd sang with her and you could see that she was visibly humbled. She hit that high note in the bridge and the crowd was crazy.

Mised Songs

They then started To Zion. She did it beautifully and the crowd joined her for the chorus. She followed it up with Lion in Zion, which was also beautiful. But she kept looking at the drummer angrily.

Then she did an accapella for the intro for Doo wop. She mixed the song with a Dr Dre (Still Dre) beat. Again we rapped and sang along with her. Then she asked "What song should I do next" People were shouting all sorts of titles, but the most prominent was EX Factor. So J obliged and dropped the beat. The crowd was nuts and sang along with her.

She called out her new recruits to help her with Everything is Everything. The girls were visibly terrified. The song started and the girls started and Lauryn smiled at them as if giving her approval. the song was great, agin we sang every note, again she gave a huge smile and was just dancing and jumping, doing karate kicks. Totally beautiful. She then thanked us for being "A beautiful crowd" and that she loved being out here. then she left the stage in thunderous applause.

Overall

Her performance was average, in that she did not utilise her full band and most of the time she was improvising, nothing was planned. I think she kinda to decided to come to SA at the last minute, because she landed on the morning of the concert, picked up some poor girls to do her backing, and kept on yelling at her band if they were not getting it right. Most South African's never bought into the "unplugged concept" and so it was really baffling that she did an acoustic set. You'd think that the promoters could have warned her about this. But she is such a seasoned performer that she completely won us over after a bad start.

On a sad note,Ashanti was also scheduled to perform but she never made it on stage. It was announced that her sister/cousin died on a car accident an hour before she was supposed to perform.

[MsHillsfan]

;D ;D ;D ;D ;DThank you so much for this review. I wish I could have been there!

[Big-D]

Thanks for the review

[fugees-online]

I think it is kind of sad the acoustic songs were not well received. It feels like she had to "give in" and give the crowd what they wanted...

Personally, if I'd go to see Lauryn Hill, I would want to hear where she is at AT THE MOMENT - what she has got to say RIGHT NOW.

Those acoustic songs are beautiful--- but of course, if the acoustics at the venue suck its all a mess. I wonder why most of the sets are not very well prepared... Yes, she is going for that "spontanous thing" - but if she keeps changing band members and compositions etc. there will never be a REALLY decent, excellent show.

[LookingForTheTruth]

really great review, thanks a lot

[fugees-online]

another review, taken from runboard:

...Thank the Gods it was a long weekend and that the Johannesburg DIva's concert featuring Lauryn Hill, Regina Belle and Ashanti was on a Saturday night and not a Monday night like Robbie Williams. We're willing to hedge our bets that had it been on a Monday night, it would have been even more disastrous than it turned out to be. Disappointing, Frustrating and Embarassing. To mention a few complimentary adjectives.
Let us fill you in:

* Arrived at the Dome in Northgate just after 7pm, park near the door, easy to get in, entire space still empty, hardly anyone there. It's easy to get a drink, it's easy to book your space near the front. Things are looking up. Apparently Ashanti had still been doing soundcheck on the stage when the doors opened after five (so at least one of them was here!). Apparently Lauryn HIll was still at the Bassline rehearsing with her band... this of course via our
sometimes dodgy grapevine... the rumours were flowing fast and furiously. But at least we knew our Diva was here.

*Space starts to fill slowly and the first act comes on an hour late at around 8pm - KB. KB has prepared an entire show and despite being pregnant really gets down - clearly she has been working hard - KB was supported by her DJ/Producer/lover Terry and her dancers are also in tow (PS: Those black catsuits were not great.) Can't really hear KB very well although we get the jist of the songs. PLEASE TURN UP THE VOCALS. WE CANNOT HEAR KB. What the ....?

*LEBO follows KB after a normal length changeover - her dancers are looking very sexy - great to see a diverse range of South African women doing back-up dancing - the girls help Lebo rock the crowd and besides the cheesy wedding chair dance are fantastic... But again - WE CAN'T HEAR THE VOCALS...Seems like LEBO is having to SCREAM to let herself be heard. NOT GOOD ENOUGH - the sound was just not good enough - as usual.

*It must be around 10:15pm and we still have four acts to come. Clearly these fly-by-night promoters and organisers have not done their sums properly - our ticket promises a five hour concert which should mean 7 - 12 midnight. It's becoming clear that that ain't going to happen. My right leg is already feeling numb. I need to go outside for a break. I'm hungry and thirsty.

*ONE GOOD THING ABOUT THE CONCERT - there's an outdoor 'smoking chillzone' with tables, bars, food available etc. Throughout the venue food and booze is easily available and it flows. We decide the chillzone will be our resting place when we just can't take the bad sound anymore.

*On to Bongo Maffin, with Jahseed demanding that his microphone be turned up and that the sound guys get the sound together - He is visibly frustrated and persistent and this seems to work as Thandiswa , Jahseed and Stoan wake the crowds up and take us to concert fever. Probably the best act of the night in retrospect - mainly because we could hear them.

*So it's the turn of the international Diva's. The Dome is now full, but comfortably full, the atmosphere is great and we bump into lots of friends which distracts us from noticing how fast time is flying by... All attention is turned to the (very boring and undecorated) stage as we wait... for nearly AN HOUR AND A HALF while they set up the stage for Regina Belle.

*It's midnight and Regina is crooning away - all the Aunties in the house are over the moon - they're delighted to hear their favourite tracks... We're not sure if it's appropriate music for this kind of concert - a little too "soppy". There are a lot of couples getting a little too cozy for our liking. But Regina knows her stuff and takes us on and up. She is good.

*We hear that Lauryn is next up, so we reclaim our final positions and prepare ourselves for our lady. The tall guys in our group get cr*pped on from very impolite and bad mannered short women in the room... do you kiss your Mama with those mouths? Learn some manners. There's a way of saying things and there's just plain rudeness.

*And so we wait. And wait. Something must be up. This is unacceptable. At some stage Lettie from Isidingo comes on to try and quell us (you go girl!), it's not working as the audience loudly BOO's her. Don't shoot the messenger. But we have to cr*ap on someone. This is unacceptable. It's been an hour.

*Two sms's come through our journalist and VIP network with a frightening message..."ASHANTI's sister has been killed in a car-hijacking outside the Dome."
Our hearts drop, the tired faces in our crowd which were grinning and bearing the disorganisation turn pale as we realise that something dark has happened. We wonder whether we should go home or stick this farce out.

*We stare at the stage where Lauryn's band is all set up but just hanging around. The room is earily quiet and the crowd is being strangely accepting of shocking organisation, timing and treatment as everyone just stands and waits patiently, staring at the stage. Some people are starting to sit down, others begin to leave the venue. We look at each other with questions in our eyes, is someone going to announce something... Is someone going to talk to the
audience at all? We're feeling very undercommunicated to.

*Please do not let this be true. A car hijacking. that could mean the end of any kind of credibility our country may have garnered with visiting international artists... this kind of negative reputation will spread like wildfire, having a major impact on so many levels. One step forward... how many back? We start to feel really depressed. The crowd is still ominously silent.

*"We need a revolutionary Leader" we suggest, someone who has the spirit and energy to get this complacent crowd chanting, singing, complaining, toyitoying, anything. This treatment of paying customers is unacceptable. It's about 1:30am.A few people attempt to fire up some shosholoza... others are just yelling in frustration. An announcement comes over the PA - the crowd finally musters some energy to boo and jeer a bit... Lauryn's backing musicians are taking pictures of the crowd... they seem amazed at how obedient we are. We're amazed. What happened to demanding for customer service?

*More sms's come in, all confirming that someone related to Ashanti has died. We wait some more. The lights dim a bit as Lauryn's DJ's start spinning some songs... We expect it to be the opening strains of Lauryn's set - but it's not, it's generic music... the crowd who had started screaming at the sound of the Dj's now begin to boo again... Please don't insult us by trying to placate us with generic hiphop. We paid to see Lauryn Hill so where the hell is she...More people leave the Dome.




*And suddenly, there she is. Lauryn Hill. Live. She looks like MonChiChi - a huge afro, her slim hips wearing high-waisted 70's style jeans, a stripey red and black shirt, TWO SCARVES and a leather jacket. Which she keeps on for her entire performance. She jumps around a bit, says hello, sings a bit, raps a bit... We realise that she is very focused on the band - she seems to be giving them ongoing instructions... they don't seem very prepared.

*She shouts at the DJ to "watch the beat" - she gesticulates to the drummer and guitarist to move to the chorus. Three very lost looking guys hang around the percussion... "those dudes are definitely South African" we all laugh.... Half of our party decide to leave the Golden CIrcle to go and sit down. I receive an sms from a friend in the audience... "Mhhhhmmmm"it reads. And that's not a good mhhhm.

*It's about 2:30am. The space around us has emptied out. People are sitting on the floor, looking to the back of the room we see that it's thinning out fast. Lauryn has taken up her guitar. She sits on a white covered "wedding chair" and starts playing some acoustic tracks. Don't know that one. That's not from Unplugged, don't know that either. Please Lauryn play us something we know. We're tired, we're exhausted, we're feeling down, please give us something to lift us. It's a tough challenge for even the most brilliant of live performers. The crowd was really despondent and tired.

*But I realise that I am actually having a good time... I am mesmerised by her eyes, her face, her style, her movements - she is magical. She is blessed. I realise I don't care that I don't know the music or that it's unbelievably late, the tracks sound similar to her other unplugged stuff so I can go with it. I love Lauryn Hill and she's right in front of me. Live.

*Finally, Lauryn gets rid of the guitar. The room is now seriously thin. Die hard fans stand and stare, hoping, wanting, waiting. At last, she finally gets miseducated. And BOOM she takes us up, one hit follows another, with the sparse crowd finally getting what they had been waiting for.

*The remaining crowd moves back together and starts screaming, bouncing, singing, loving... Lauryn comes to life and manages to wake us up - she gives an outstanding ending to a somewhat shaky start. We don't care about anything as we get our kick and make the most of our Diva.

[Big-D]

thanks,nice pic

[lustevie]

what I have read is really writing in such a perfect way that seems me to have lived that instants good to the writers and w Lauryn forever

[fugees-online]

another (BAD) review:

Lauren Hill Divas Concert
Have you seen my Lauryn?



By Chisanga Kabinga
16th April 2006

It's one thirty am. My feet are sore. The floor of the Dome is sticky and cluttered with paper cups, long drained of their contents. My back hurts from standing for five hours straight. So when when Lesego Motsepe gets on the stage, I join the crowd and boo her off. "Do you want Lauryn Hill?" she asks. I want to climb on the stage and tell her that I have had one hour's worth of sleep in the last twenty four hours and I am not here for the lights. Turns out most of the people around me have just as short a fuse as I do, and they let her know.

So the stage is finally set up after an hour and half of waiting (and don't get me started on how long we had to wait for Regina Belle!). The drums, the two mixing desks, the guitars and the delectable looking band members seem ready to go. Lauryn Hill's guitar and chair complete the picture of my expectations. We are going to have a great show, I say to myself. I am almost pacified. My feet almost stop throbbing.

Lesego manages another peek to try and announce Ms Hill onto the stage. The crowd is past pleasantries and they shout her off. The DJs come on and start hyping up the crowd. We are suitably impressed and start dancing. When it seems like the hype session is going on too long, the booing begins again, and Lauryn, sporting a huge red-brown afro, makes what seems like an unscheduled entry onto the stage.

She says she was going to do an acoustic set, but she has decided to do some of the old stuff. So she sets off with Lost Ones, and the crowd, which knows every lyric of every song, goes wild.

After a couple of songs, Lauryn, dead serious, sits on her chair and straps on her guitar. A fan shouts, asking if she is okay. "Am I okay? Oh, I am beautiful. I'm just not smiling because I take my life real seriously. Am a bad woman. Am a beautiful black woman in a western world". We cheer. I'm thinking "okay, Cleopatra Jones!" but I go with it.

She starts playing those abstract, poetic songs, most of which I have not heard before, but does not explain their context. After the third song, something about politicians with spears to Lauryn's throat, people start leaving. One group of women heads off saying, "hayi man, we are sick of this sh*t". I hold on, though, thinking she will get it right, even though she keeps barking at her band, telling them to stop and start. Her bass guitarist is staring at her like she has lost her mind. He leaves the stage. By the fourth acoustic song, someone throws a bottle onto the stage. I can't blame them.

"We want Zion", we start chanting. Lauryn rises from her throne, her face still in 'bad woman' mode. She obliges and sings the song, much to our delight. She sings a few more songs from the Fugees days and from Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

When she does the last song, all she says is "thank you" and she walks off. We watch the back of her afro and do not bother to ask for an encore - we know that this "bad woman" will not oblige.

Expectations dashed, I slowly head out, thinking about the hard earned R320 I paid to see Lauryn Hill. I have loved this woman since her days with Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel, and bawled my eyes out when I listened to her gruff raw sound on her MTV Unplugged album. Last night, I put myself through physical hell. I even sat on the grimy, Coke and Beer covered floor while trying to stay awake so I could see her live. And this half-baked performance is all she could deliver. Needless to say, I am angry and sorely disappointed.

My friend Bongi and I agree on two things: Lauryn Hill is not what she used to be, and that we should have left after Bongo Maffin, whose set was the best by far.

The Lauryn Hill I coughed up money for, my idealised Lauryn Hill, would have appreciated the effect she has had on our lives through her music. She would not have sat self-indulgently and played without drawing us into her new songs. She would not have alienated her band. Out of respect for her fans, she would not have been erratic or ill-prepared. She would not have been so all over the place that her manager (or whoever that cute but edgy guy backstage was) was constantly on tenterhooks. I would like to think that she would have enjoyed her performance, even just a little.

So I ask, have you seen my Lauryn? The Lauryn I saw at the Dome was confused, self-absorbed, and no longer "more powerful than two Cleopatras?.


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[Moderator]

admin said:

another (BAD) review:

Lauren Hill Divas Concert
Have you seen my Lauryn?



By Chisanga Kabinga
16th April 2006

It's one thirty am. My feet are sore. The floor of the Dome is sticky and cluttered with paper cups, long drained of their contents. My back hurts from standing for five hours straight. So when when Lesego Motsepe gets on the stage, I join the crowd and boo her off. "Do you want Lauryn Hill?" she asks. I want to climb on the stage and tell her that I have had one hour's worth of sleep in the last twenty four hours and I am not here for the lights. Turns out most of the people around me have just as short a fuse as I do, and they let her know.

So the stage is finally set up after an hour and half of waiting (and don't get me started on how long we had to wait for Regina Belle!). The drums, the two mixing desks, the guitars and the delectable looking band members seem ready to go. Lauryn Hill's guitar and chair complete the picture of my expectations. We are going to have a great show, I say to myself. I am almost pacified. My feet almost stop throbbing.

Lesego manages another peek to try and announce Ms Hill onto the stage. The crowd is past pleasantries and they shout her off. The DJs come on and start hyping up the crowd. We are suitably impressed and start dancing. When it seems like the hype session is going on too long, the booing begins again, and Lauryn, sporting a huge red-brown afro, makes what seems like an unscheduled entry onto the stage.

She says she was going to do an acoustic set, but she has decided to do some of the old stuff. So she sets off with Lost Ones, and the crowd, which knows every lyric of every song, goes wild.

After a couple of songs, Lauryn, dead serious, sits on her chair and straps on her guitar. A fan shouts, asking if she is okay. "Am I okay? Oh, I am beautiful. I'm just not smiling because I take my life real seriously. Am a bad woman. Am a beautiful black woman in a western world". We cheer. I'm thinking "okay, Cleopatra Jones!" but I go with it.

She starts playing those abstract, poetic songs, most of which I have not heard before, but does not explain their context. After the third song, something about politicians with spears to Lauryn's throat, people start leaving. One group of women heads off saying, "hayi man, we are sick of this sh*t". I hold on, though, thinking she will get it right, even though she keeps barking at her band, telling them to stop and start. Her bass guitarist is staring at her like she has lost her mind. He leaves the stage. By the fourth acoustic song, someone throws a bottle onto the stage. I can't blame them.

"We want Zion", we start chanting. Lauryn rises from her throne, her face still in 'bad woman' mode. She obliges and sings the song, much to our delight. She sings a few more songs from the Fugees days and from Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

When she does the last song, all she says is "thank you" and she walks off. We watch the back of her afro and do not bother to ask for an encore - we know that this "bad woman" will not oblige.

Expectations dashed, I slowly head out, thinking about the hard earned R320 I paid to see Lauryn Hill. I have loved this woman since her days with Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel, and bawled my eyes out when I listened to her gruff raw sound on her MTV Unplugged album. Last night, I put myself through physical hell. I even sat on the grimy, Coke and Beer covered floor while trying to stay awake so I could see her live. And this half-baked performance is all she could deliver. Needless to say, I am angry and sorely disappointed.

My friend Bongi and I agree on two things: Lauryn Hill is not what she used to be, and that we should have left after Bongo Maffin, whose set was the best by far.

The Lauryn Hill I coughed up money for, my idealised Lauryn Hill, would have appreciated the effect she has had on our lives through her music. She would not have sat self-indulgently and played without drawing us into her new songs. She would not have alienated her band. Out of respect for her fans, she would not have been erratic or ill-prepared. She would not have been so all over the place that her manager (or whoever that cute but edgy guy backstage was) was constantly on tenterhooks. I would like to think that she would have enjoyed her performance, even just a little.

So I ask, have you seen my Lauryn? The Lauryn I saw at the Dome was confused, self-absorbed, and no longer "more powerful than two Cleopatras?.


Back

www.jhblive.co.za/live/publications...sp?pub_id=43213

I feel your pain. That would have been hell. But i think if you love her as an artist you will continue to love her through the good and bad and ups and downs. She is human. It probably wasn't her performance that day.

[Hania]

admin said:

I think it is kind of sad the acoustic songs were not well received. It feels like she had to "give in" and give the crowd what they wanted...

Personally, if I'd go to see Lauryn Hill, I would want to hear where she is at AT THE MOMENT - what she has got to say RIGHT NOW.

Those acoustic songs are beautiful--- but of course, if the acoustics at the venue suck its all a mess. I wonder why most of the sets are not very well prepared... Yes, she is going for that "spontanous thing" - but if she keeps changing band members and compositions etc. there will never be a REALLY decent, excellent show.

I also think these songs are beautiful. I think if she could realise an album with these songs and some dope arrangements of them it would increase positive reception of her new songs. I just remember how she arranged some songs from Unplugged on Chicago concert and they were so amazing-for example Peace of mind. And then masses of people (who are not so aware of L's new stuff as we are) eventually will see how great her new material is.