Post by Moderator on Feb 7, 2010 6:22:18 GMT 1
Rotorua International Stadium, NEW ZEALAND (23rd January, 2010)
"...By the time Lauryn Hill got to the stage energy-wise the crowd really needed to be picked up and that's exactly what she did. She put on a brilliant performance clearing showing that she is a veteran. My favorite tune was Lost Ones - it was wicked to see a tight band perform a good one-drop session that had the crowd jumping around. It was such a pity that she only played for thirty minutes!"
- Review by Hawk i, for niceup.org.nz
Members Equity Bank Stadium, Perth, AUSTRALIA (25th January, 2010)
"She's a mysterious cat to say the least. Absolutely massive in the 90s and then suddenly hardly spoken of...Her band appeared first and she was packing some serious power in her entourage. Three back up singers, two drummers, a dj, a stack of bass quads and this was only half the picture. They ran through a Bob Marley medley which left everyone wishing all bands sound checked with Marley sing-a-longs. She took a long while to arrive and there may have been the slightest hint of worry that she was never going to. When she finally did, it was electrifying. Any lasting images in people's minds of the urban high school girl she played on Sister Act 2 were shattered as she strode out looking like THE hip hop diva of all time...but his one was all for the people. "Lets give the people what they want" she told the dj as she made him redo an intro she wasn't happy with. She held off rapping in the early stages and warmed into the set with the soulful harmonising she's renowned for. When she did finally unleash her multi-syllabic bursts of poetry though, the crowd was awe-struck. Her quick-fire style was something that is rarely heard these days and it's hard to understand why because it just sounded so damn good. She roared through her assailing Final Hour and did a two part version of The Fugees' Ready or Not. The seminal track was a live remix in its beginnings before Hill told her band to cut it and ordered the dj to play the original radio production. The crowd rolled it up and smoked it with glee. She called upon Marley to join her for a Turn The Lights Down Low cover but this was about as low as her voltage got...she left it up to the crowd to decide whether she closed with Doo Wop (That Thing) or Killing Me Softly. The Roberta Flack original got the most raucous support and it didn't have Wyclef adding his notorious 'one time/two time' lines but that didn't matter. Everyone just loved the fact they were hearing the song that made their Saturday morning exciting once. Hill looked like she was having the time of her life up there so perhaps she'll be back on the radio soon; doing what she was born to do."
- Review by Squags, for fasterlouder.com.au
"The act most had been waiting for, Ms Lauryn Hill...She took her time coming onto the stage...When Hill finally came on it was a head-scratching moment as she was sporting a jacket and hat, which could only be described as “bag lady chic”. It was an amazing sight seeing so many cameras and phones light up to take pictures of the rapper/ soul singer as she began with Lost Ones and Ex-Factor. While her rapping skills were above impressive, her set did not appear to give her singing voice much justice. After singing Final Hour, Julian Marley came onto the stage to sing Turn Your Lights Down Low, which was a highlight. It was a shame that each act of the night was given an hour, as many would assume such an acclaimed international act such as Hill would receive a longer timeslot. The venue did have noise restrictions after 10.30pm so it could be argued that Members Equity was the wrong place to have this year’s festival. It was also a shame Wyclef Jean had to pull out of the event as his former band mate Hill had to perform the Fugees songs How Many Mics and Fu-Gee-La without him. Hill asked the crowd which song they would like her to sing out of Killing Me Softly and Doop Wop (That Thing). The former won out and she started it three times until she was happy with the result. Many were expecting her to then go on to sing Dop Wop (That Thing) but instead she bid everyone goodnight, which was a great disappointment. She could have cut a lesser-known song off her set to accommodate her hit."
- Review by Sandra Bahbah, for perthnow.com.au
Enmore Theatre, Sydney, AUSTRALIA (29th January, 2010)
"Hey, i was at the Sydney concert last night...Yes, Lauryn was amazing - but i thought the sound mixing was shockingly bad!! I was really disappointed with it...I go to concerts at the Enmore Theatre all the time...i was there just on tues & standing right up the front next to the speakers & it sounded perfect..but this is the worst i've heard it. It was way too loud & poorly mixed (harsh & messy), such a shame! I could tell Lauryn's voice was amazing, but most of it sounded muffled with the sound of the band...It sounded like an outdoor festival, but the Enmore Theatre is a fairly small concert theatre (capacity of 2000), so that was really disappointing for me. I guess Raggamuffin had their own mixer who travels with them...I probably should of stood right up the back, perhaps the sound was better there - but i wanted to be able to see her closely...The DJ kept yelling 'Sydney, Australia' about 200 times throughout the performance, which was so annoying, ha!
Lauryn seemed really happy, and really loving it, and she looked gorgeous!! Her outfit was amazing She is definitely back to (or very close to) her old form! The crowd was incredible All screaming for her...the biggest crowd response i've seen for a long time...They were all chanting her name when she finished, but she didn't come back on for an encore...btw, i was also not feeling well and i live around the corner from the Enmore, so only ducked in for an hour only to see Lauryn...so may have affected my enjoyment of it all!! I wish i remember the whole set list, but will give it a go. 
she played for about 50 minutes...Lost Ones, Doo Wop, Ready Or Not, Fu Gee La, Final Hour, How Many Mics, Chances (Bob Marley) *this sounded amazing *, Turn Your Lights Down Low (with Julian Marley) - When she announced this song, she said all of her children's names in order of their age & then said they had a pretty amazing uncle who sounded just like his father and then called Julian on stage...that was really sweet As far as i remember there was no ex-factor or killing me softly??
- Review by Fan, Cass (originally posted on this forum)
Riverstage, Brisbane, AUSTRALIA (30th January, 2010)
N/A
Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne, AUSTRALIA (31st January, 2010)
"There is little doubt that Lauryn Hill is the biggest draw card for tonight and despite the weather turning positively cold (and wet) after Sly and Robbie's departure from stage, no one moves...The playful DJ is charged with getting us warmed up further before Ms Hill graces us with her presence and as he drops her father-in-law's classic Three Little Birds the sound of about 20,000 people singing 'Don't worry! About a thing!' is a truly joyous experience. The DJ starts Red Red Wine, we keep singing. He stops it, we boo, he hits it again and everyone's partying. Incredibly, black and grey clouds disperse and the sky starts to take on a golden hue, with fluffy white clouds rolling by, as we spy Ms Hill skip from side of stage to behind the main stage, out of sight. We lose it. Her band, turntablist and backing vocalists do a wicked job bringing us to the brink and when Lauryn appears 'a picture of eclectic glamour: powder blue, wide-legged pants, matching boots and hat, camel jacket and canary yellow silk singlet, obligatory bling' we are beside ourselves. They launch straight into a rocked up hip hop version of Lost Ones, her rhyming so fast it is impossible to keep up, and almost impossible to hear given the sheer volume of screaming fans. Ex-Factor gets the same treatment and it's a sonic tornado: absolutely incredible musicianship, hard-to-believe rapping and angelic vocals interspersing in perfect arrangement: just like Final Hour, the next and last offering from her iconic album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill...when 'Uncle Julian' Marley returns to stage to duet with her on Grandad Bob's Turn The Lights Down Low, Julian's microphone continues with the feedback issues from Sly and Robbie's set. Lauryn is quick to keep things going by handing hers over. While the sound issues threaten to ruin the collaboration, hearing those two sing that song together, with all the family ties that bind them, brings a lump to my throat. As Julian bounds off again, Lauryn brings out her Fugees songbook giving us a cracking rendition of How Many Mics and Fu-Gee-La which again, had everyone in the crowd beside themselves with glee: I don't think we thought we'd ever get to see it. The DJ plays with a few different melody intros for the last track, goaded by Lauryn, creating an excruciating tease for us until she yells, 'Drop it!' He drops the needle on the original jam from The Fugees blockbuster Here I Come to close the set. The energy and admiration simmering out of the crowd is emotional, but I must reiterate, this has been a decade in the coming. We howl, scream, cheer and chant her name before giving up and grinning at each other."
- Review by Melanie Lewis, for fasterlouder.com.au
"Hi Guys, I was at the Melbourne Raggamuffin concert. Ms. Hill only finished on stage about two hours ago. It was AWESOME!!!She came out wearing a tan coloured wide brimmed hat, matching coloured trenchcoat. She had a yellow top underneath, with something white under that. High waisted, baggy leg, blue jeans, and a light brown leather belt with a big buckle. Oh, and don't let me miss the shoes, light blue strappy and so high, with a heel that would poke somebody's eye out. She was rocking some blue eye shadow too. And wow she has some good genes, she still looks 21. We all went wild because the back up singers and DJ had been there for about 5 or so minutes. She did Lost Ones first, the version where she sings the verses ultra fast and yells the chorus. She has very good stage presence. She then did ex-factor. I didn't recognise the intro it took me a minute to pick what song it was. She did the verses very fast, and yelled a few 'where were you' parts. She didn't sing the chorus. She did that same ending as in New Zealand, with the 'let me care for me so I can care for you' part, which I really liked. She then had the guitarist do this 'To Zion' Santana sounding intro, and she mentioned Zion, Selah, Joshua, John and the baby. I thought she was going to sing To Zion, but it was actually the intro to Final Hour. She did the verses very fast, mind you her pronounciation is perfect, is actually kind of incredible to hear, she's more like a drum beat, and yelled the 'You can get the money' (which is how that song is anyway). She was getting the crowd really into to, getting us to yell the odd line. Then Julian Marley was invited on stage for Turn your lights down low. His microphone was crap, Ms Hill gave him hers. She did some swaying type dance moves and encouraged the audience to get into it. She warned the audience that they were going to need some help with this song. She sang this song perfectly. I've listened to plenty of live stuff in recent years where she sounds a little scratchy on the high stuff- not tonight- PERFECT!!!! Julian Marley also did a fantastic job of the song might I add, he sounds heaps like Bob. She did the hip hop verses for this song again faster speed, but it worked really well. There was also lots of crowd participation in this song. Unfortunately the microphones at the venue really needed to be louder for voices and quieter on the instruments, but I would hardly call that her fault. Ms Hill spoke to the audience briefly, something like 'How you doing Melbourne...'She then did 'How Many Mics'. She did Wyclef's verse and then her own, then went straight into Fu Gee La. The chorus was classic style Fugees The Score. Her voice was great. Then she did Ready Or Not. She sang all the chorus bits (this was probably my favourite- because it displayed her voice the best. SHE'S STILL GOT IT ALLLLLL THE WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She did Wyclef's verse and then hers. At the end, she said, something along the lines of 'that's all tonight, sorry that's our time up.' A few more apologies. We were all going nuts asking for more and an encore. The entire audience were chanting "Lauryn, Lauryn" at one point. But unfortunately that was it. I would personally have liked if she'd had a three hour slot, but what can you do. It was so good, better than I could have hoped for. Just wish there was more!!!!!!!!"
- Review by Fan, GingerPygmy (originally posted on this forum)
"...By the time Lauryn Hill got to the stage energy-wise the crowd really needed to be picked up and that's exactly what she did. She put on a brilliant performance clearing showing that she is a veteran. My favorite tune was Lost Ones - it was wicked to see a tight band perform a good one-drop session that had the crowd jumping around. It was such a pity that she only played for thirty minutes!"
- Review by Hawk i, for niceup.org.nz
Members Equity Bank Stadium, Perth, AUSTRALIA (25th January, 2010)
"She's a mysterious cat to say the least. Absolutely massive in the 90s and then suddenly hardly spoken of...Her band appeared first and she was packing some serious power in her entourage. Three back up singers, two drummers, a dj, a stack of bass quads and this was only half the picture. They ran through a Bob Marley medley which left everyone wishing all bands sound checked with Marley sing-a-longs. She took a long while to arrive and there may have been the slightest hint of worry that she was never going to. When she finally did, it was electrifying. Any lasting images in people's minds of the urban high school girl she played on Sister Act 2 were shattered as she strode out looking like THE hip hop diva of all time...but his one was all for the people. "Lets give the people what they want" she told the dj as she made him redo an intro she wasn't happy with. She held off rapping in the early stages and warmed into the set with the soulful harmonising she's renowned for. When she did finally unleash her multi-syllabic bursts of poetry though, the crowd was awe-struck. Her quick-fire style was something that is rarely heard these days and it's hard to understand why because it just sounded so damn good. She roared through her assailing Final Hour and did a two part version of The Fugees' Ready or Not. The seminal track was a live remix in its beginnings before Hill told her band to cut it and ordered the dj to play the original radio production. The crowd rolled it up and smoked it with glee. She called upon Marley to join her for a Turn The Lights Down Low cover but this was about as low as her voltage got...she left it up to the crowd to decide whether she closed with Doo Wop (That Thing) or Killing Me Softly. The Roberta Flack original got the most raucous support and it didn't have Wyclef adding his notorious 'one time/two time' lines but that didn't matter. Everyone just loved the fact they were hearing the song that made their Saturday morning exciting once. Hill looked like she was having the time of her life up there so perhaps she'll be back on the radio soon; doing what she was born to do."
- Review by Squags, for fasterlouder.com.au
"The act most had been waiting for, Ms Lauryn Hill...She took her time coming onto the stage...When Hill finally came on it was a head-scratching moment as she was sporting a jacket and hat, which could only be described as “bag lady chic”. It was an amazing sight seeing so many cameras and phones light up to take pictures of the rapper/ soul singer as she began with Lost Ones and Ex-Factor. While her rapping skills were above impressive, her set did not appear to give her singing voice much justice. After singing Final Hour, Julian Marley came onto the stage to sing Turn Your Lights Down Low, which was a highlight. It was a shame that each act of the night was given an hour, as many would assume such an acclaimed international act such as Hill would receive a longer timeslot. The venue did have noise restrictions after 10.30pm so it could be argued that Members Equity was the wrong place to have this year’s festival. It was also a shame Wyclef Jean had to pull out of the event as his former band mate Hill had to perform the Fugees songs How Many Mics and Fu-Gee-La without him. Hill asked the crowd which song they would like her to sing out of Killing Me Softly and Doop Wop (That Thing). The former won out and she started it three times until she was happy with the result. Many were expecting her to then go on to sing Dop Wop (That Thing) but instead she bid everyone goodnight, which was a great disappointment. She could have cut a lesser-known song off her set to accommodate her hit."
- Review by Sandra Bahbah, for perthnow.com.au
Enmore Theatre, Sydney, AUSTRALIA (29th January, 2010)
"Hey, i was at the Sydney concert last night...Yes, Lauryn was amazing - but i thought the sound mixing was shockingly bad!! I was really disappointed with it...I go to concerts at the Enmore Theatre all the time...i was there just on tues & standing right up the front next to the speakers & it sounded perfect..but this is the worst i've heard it. It was way too loud & poorly mixed (harsh & messy), such a shame! I could tell Lauryn's voice was amazing, but most of it sounded muffled with the sound of the band...It sounded like an outdoor festival, but the Enmore Theatre is a fairly small concert theatre (capacity of 2000), so that was really disappointing for me. I guess Raggamuffin had their own mixer who travels with them...I probably should of stood right up the back, perhaps the sound was better there - but i wanted to be able to see her closely...The DJ kept yelling 'Sydney, Australia' about 200 times throughout the performance, which was so annoying, ha!
Lauryn seemed really happy, and really loving it, and she looked gorgeous!! Her outfit was amazing She is definitely back to (or very close to) her old form! The crowd was incredible All screaming for her...the biggest crowd response i've seen for a long time...They were all chanting her name when she finished, but she didn't come back on for an encore...btw, i was also not feeling well and i live around the corner from the Enmore, so only ducked in for an hour only to see Lauryn...so may have affected my enjoyment of it all!! I wish i remember the whole set list, but will give it a go. 
she played for about 50 minutes...Lost Ones, Doo Wop, Ready Or Not, Fu Gee La, Final Hour, How Many Mics, Chances (Bob Marley) *this sounded amazing *, Turn Your Lights Down Low (with Julian Marley) - When she announced this song, she said all of her children's names in order of their age & then said they had a pretty amazing uncle who sounded just like his father and then called Julian on stage...that was really sweet As far as i remember there was no ex-factor or killing me softly?? - Review by Fan, Cass (originally posted on this forum)
Riverstage, Brisbane, AUSTRALIA (30th January, 2010)
N/A
Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne, AUSTRALIA (31st January, 2010)
"There is little doubt that Lauryn Hill is the biggest draw card for tonight and despite the weather turning positively cold (and wet) after Sly and Robbie's departure from stage, no one moves...The playful DJ is charged with getting us warmed up further before Ms Hill graces us with her presence and as he drops her father-in-law's classic Three Little Birds the sound of about 20,000 people singing 'Don't worry! About a thing!' is a truly joyous experience. The DJ starts Red Red Wine, we keep singing. He stops it, we boo, he hits it again and everyone's partying. Incredibly, black and grey clouds disperse and the sky starts to take on a golden hue, with fluffy white clouds rolling by, as we spy Ms Hill skip from side of stage to behind the main stage, out of sight. We lose it. Her band, turntablist and backing vocalists do a wicked job bringing us to the brink and when Lauryn appears 'a picture of eclectic glamour: powder blue, wide-legged pants, matching boots and hat, camel jacket and canary yellow silk singlet, obligatory bling' we are beside ourselves. They launch straight into a rocked up hip hop version of Lost Ones, her rhyming so fast it is impossible to keep up, and almost impossible to hear given the sheer volume of screaming fans. Ex-Factor gets the same treatment and it's a sonic tornado: absolutely incredible musicianship, hard-to-believe rapping and angelic vocals interspersing in perfect arrangement: just like Final Hour, the next and last offering from her iconic album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill...when 'Uncle Julian' Marley returns to stage to duet with her on Grandad Bob's Turn The Lights Down Low, Julian's microphone continues with the feedback issues from Sly and Robbie's set. Lauryn is quick to keep things going by handing hers over. While the sound issues threaten to ruin the collaboration, hearing those two sing that song together, with all the family ties that bind them, brings a lump to my throat. As Julian bounds off again, Lauryn brings out her Fugees songbook giving us a cracking rendition of How Many Mics and Fu-Gee-La which again, had everyone in the crowd beside themselves with glee: I don't think we thought we'd ever get to see it. The DJ plays with a few different melody intros for the last track, goaded by Lauryn, creating an excruciating tease for us until she yells, 'Drop it!' He drops the needle on the original jam from The Fugees blockbuster Here I Come to close the set. The energy and admiration simmering out of the crowd is emotional, but I must reiterate, this has been a decade in the coming. We howl, scream, cheer and chant her name before giving up and grinning at each other."
- Review by Melanie Lewis, for fasterlouder.com.au
"Hi Guys, I was at the Melbourne Raggamuffin concert. Ms. Hill only finished on stage about two hours ago. It was AWESOME!!!She came out wearing a tan coloured wide brimmed hat, matching coloured trenchcoat. She had a yellow top underneath, with something white under that. High waisted, baggy leg, blue jeans, and a light brown leather belt with a big buckle. Oh, and don't let me miss the shoes, light blue strappy and so high, with a heel that would poke somebody's eye out. She was rocking some blue eye shadow too. And wow she has some good genes, she still looks 21. We all went wild because the back up singers and DJ had been there for about 5 or so minutes. She did Lost Ones first, the version where she sings the verses ultra fast and yells the chorus. She has very good stage presence. She then did ex-factor. I didn't recognise the intro it took me a minute to pick what song it was. She did the verses very fast, and yelled a few 'where were you' parts. She didn't sing the chorus. She did that same ending as in New Zealand, with the 'let me care for me so I can care for you' part, which I really liked. She then had the guitarist do this 'To Zion' Santana sounding intro, and she mentioned Zion, Selah, Joshua, John and the baby. I thought she was going to sing To Zion, but it was actually the intro to Final Hour. She did the verses very fast, mind you her pronounciation is perfect, is actually kind of incredible to hear, she's more like a drum beat, and yelled the 'You can get the money' (which is how that song is anyway). She was getting the crowd really into to, getting us to yell the odd line. Then Julian Marley was invited on stage for Turn your lights down low. His microphone was crap, Ms Hill gave him hers. She did some swaying type dance moves and encouraged the audience to get into it. She warned the audience that they were going to need some help with this song. She sang this song perfectly. I've listened to plenty of live stuff in recent years where she sounds a little scratchy on the high stuff- not tonight- PERFECT!!!! Julian Marley also did a fantastic job of the song might I add, he sounds heaps like Bob. She did the hip hop verses for this song again faster speed, but it worked really well. There was also lots of crowd participation in this song. Unfortunately the microphones at the venue really needed to be louder for voices and quieter on the instruments, but I would hardly call that her fault. Ms Hill spoke to the audience briefly, something like 'How you doing Melbourne...'She then did 'How Many Mics'. She did Wyclef's verse and then her own, then went straight into Fu Gee La. The chorus was classic style Fugees The Score. Her voice was great. Then she did Ready Or Not. She sang all the chorus bits (this was probably my favourite- because it displayed her voice the best. SHE'S STILL GOT IT ALLLLLL THE WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She did Wyclef's verse and then hers. At the end, she said, something along the lines of 'that's all tonight, sorry that's our time up.' A few more apologies. We were all going nuts asking for more and an encore. The entire audience were chanting "Lauryn, Lauryn" at one point. But unfortunately that was it. I would personally have liked if she'd had a three hour slot, but what can you do. It was so good, better than I could have hoped for. Just wish there was more!!!!!!!!"
- Review by Fan, GingerPygmy (originally posted on this forum)
