Spring into a Strut

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It seems like such a long time since we were left suspended hot and speechless by the Fantasy Springs concert. I've been slowly working through the set in order of your favourites so here is my latest addition to the collection, a little memory while we wait for the IIHY video and the Glam Nation tour. I was actually a little surprised that this song was so far down the list because it was hovering in the top part of mine.



The more I see this costume, the more I appreciate it, especially because there hasn't been a repeat. When I see the hair, it reminds me of a Labyrinthine Bowie and those trousers have shades of harlequin in them but they also creep around like a pair of serpents. I absolutely love the part of this song where Adam does a little hippy tribal dance around an imaginary camp fire, summoning down the spirits of hedonism. It's also because it feels perhaps like a child pretending to be an aeroplane — a moment completely free of inhibition — which hasn't been that common lately because of the staged pop numbers. There are other parts of the song where I get the same feeling, like just after the climax when he jumps from side-to-side — moves that I can't imagine a choreographer would ever put into a routine.

The core of this song has to be that sassy strut and seeing it for the first time was jaw-dropping. He's very aloof but so OTT that he pulls it off with such poise as to make any catwalk model weep. I remember celebrating it with a 'Whoop!' so I've added a little emphasis on it in the video. I also laughed at his little jiggle immediately after, just in case anyone was taking him too seriously. At the end, he breaks out of fierce to become all sweet and smiles. It's a strong vocal, with a couple of marginally flat notes but plenty of magnificent big ones too. The bassline coupled with Adam's energy really do make you feel good enough to strut, and after watching it, I might just do that. Feel free to come and join me!

DOWNLOAD Strut mp3 - 8.0MB
DOWNLOAD Strut iPod compatible mp4 - 40.7MB
DOWNLOAD Strut HD mp4 - 58.4MB

KISS 108 Concert

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Wow, there has been so much suckitude at this concert because no one seems to be able to sing live. Still, listening to people making my ears bleed is something I've gotten used to in the course of following Adam. Here's the media so far, which I'll be updating as the night wears on:

Backstage interview:


Playlist of full set - use the arrows to change songs:


DOWNLOAD Interview - Real Media file *.rm (Audio in synch, plays with RealPlayer/VLC Player) - 22.0MB
DOWNLOAD Adam Lambert's full set (Intro, WWFM, MA, Strut, Sleepwalker, IIHY) - Real Media file *.rm - 62.4MB

It's too late to write a proper review now, so here are my stupid tweets in the meantime:

WWFM!
He sounds very high, did they up the key?
Same jacket as on Leno with the mohawk on the back #kiss108
Spray-on pants! #kiss108
Same leather ones as on Ellen - except without strategically placed shirt
Are they missing the keyboards today? Sounds very different
Wonder what Tommy's solo's gonna sound like #kiss108
Tommy did a decent job, but the guitar sounds a little strange, kinda jangly.
First person tonight who can actually sing live and he sings fucking brilliantly. #kiss108
Bitch has the best strut going. #kiss108
Cameraman fail. Need to see those moves #kiss108
He seems to have an odd patch over the crotch area.
Sleepwalker!!!!!
Not the best start though
STOMACH SKIN!
Go Adam! Kill it! That is some serious belting going on!
Fist bump with LP - cute.
I almost thought he was gonna keep the language clean
Do-do-do-do-do-dooooo!
Wonder why he decided to leave out the dancers
Misbehavin' hair!
OMG that mouth is huuuuuuge!
Bouncy Adam is so cute

If I Had a Glittery Zebra

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I didn't stay up to watch the Leno stream so I was in for a pleasant surprise this morning. Those trousers! Only Adam. Up top with the black he means business - it's a little TfM or a little Satisfaction, but it's a party downstairs. The jacket seems to be a new one, a little longer than usual and quite plain until we see it has a mohawk at the back. Yes, the jacket has a fucking mohawk! He's definitely working that tribal beasty glam. It's the first time we've seen his hair down since getting his sides razored and it looks a little new wave. I like it and I'm sure it won't be long before I love it.



The feel of this performance is very different to the Ellen one. He's more of a rock star here in his demeanour and his facial expressions. He's replaced those joyful innocent-looking smiles with knowing, mischievous ones and it feels more tailored for a late-night show. Those moves of his are decisive and fabulous. His voice is strong and the mix is great although I think he could be a bit louder during the choruses as we lose much of that live quality in the backing vocals. His voice though, sounds so rich and gorgeous throughout. I'm glad he decided to sing the 'Do-do-do-do-dooo' parts because that and the little bit of freestyle dancing in between the structured choreography shows that he's not taking himself too seriously. It's the slightly dorky fun side which we find so endearing about him. I loved the way that he improvised for the finish in another brilliant performance.

Soaked in the Springs

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Here's my latest Fantasy Springs edit of Soaked. I think this look of his suits the song much more than any other. There is so much light and shade in this performance going from the softest warble to the mighty soaring crescendo and that ghostly howl. Adam is very expressive as he stumbles around the stage dragging the mic stand with him. There is a very extended pause in the song just to add that extra bit of drama.



DOWNLOAD Soaked mp3 - 11.1MB
DOWNLOAD Soaked iPod compatible mp4 - 55.5MB
DOWNLOAD Soaked HD mp4 - 76.8MB

Adam's Cock-or-two on Ellen

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Adam is a bundle of infectious joy in this performance, decked out as a glam hippie in shiny bell-bottoms, reminding me a little of the PTFM look. They would probably be another be another talking point, were it not for the shirt left untucked. The dancing is great throughout and brings a lot of energy onto the stage. The backing track vocals sound a little dissonant at points but he nails the live vocal, which is awesome. It looks like he might have given in to singing some of the 'd-d-d-do' parts despite saying that he wouldn't when we eavesdropped on his rehearsal. Bring on the party!



The interview feels so much more of a happy affair compared to the first time he was on the show. Adam seems so much more confident and the charm is on display as he cheekily sneaks in some smut.

Unplugged in Berlin

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I'd been waiting for this to be released ever since hearing the incomplete version recorded off the radio. It's the sparsest arrangement yet, no drums, just Adam's breathtaking voice and Monte's guitar. It's so personal and intimate, seizing you through a vulnerable spot in your armour. It's like listening to Adam's heart breaking, with his voice so close and so bare as he pleadingly whispers directly into your ear to give him another chance. You can't help but empathise and ache with him.



The guitar starts off quiet and mournful then Adam breathily sings the most gentle and fragile of notes, adding emotion-laden quivers. He keeps it tender through the first chorus before Monte's picking turns into light strumming. He builds in strength and volume as the song progresses and we get to hear some of the grainy tone I'm particularly fond of. I love the embellishments he makes as he flows through the instrumental break before sombrely bringing it back down at the bridge. It's brought back up with frustration before a soft and resigned finish. At the very end, the exchanged look between Adam and Monte reveals a closeness and an understanding between them. It's like they're a colluding double-act and don't need words to communicate with each other.

Adam inhabits the song to give a very dynamic and rousing performance, even though he refrains from full belt. I could listen to it over and over again as it's one in which we feel closest to the heart of Adam's perfect pure vocal, a wonder of staggering beauty. I love this.

Sleepwalking Fantasy

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I took quite a long break from editing as it's turned into such a painstaking process, mainly because of the increase in the volume of videos for each concert. Each edit requires me to watch every single one multiple times in order to choose the best shot at each point in the song.

This concert feels like such a long time ago now and we can see how far Sleepwalker has evolved since then, especially with the Zurich performance. I appreciate the costume much more now, especially as it turns out to have been a unique one. It's soft and exotic and an enigmatic Adam is both slight and powerful in it. This performance has huge contrasts, from the weak and vulnerable voice at the beginning to the mighty chanting of the chorus and it's hard not to feel moved by it. Enjoy the latest addition to your collection!



DOWNLOAD Sleepwalker mp3 - 10.5MB
DOWNLOAD Sleepwalker iPod compatible mp4 - 30.5MB
DOWNLOAD Sleepwalker HQ mp4 - 51.6MB

Stop. Glammer Time! Wango Tango

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I woke up this morning to all these goodies and saw those harem trousers and laughed so hard. Adam somehow manages to work the look with that beautiful Leno Sleepwalker jacket and the black equivalent of his ornate top from his IIHY shoot. I wonder if those trousers were a response to all the recent wang-gazing brought about by the pictures from the IIHY shoot. Adam has gone with a tribal/alien look for his eye make-up and the hair is a textured up-do up with spikes and razored sides. Here is a playlist of the best videos of the set so far. Use the arrows to change songs.



The set is very short and I wonder if it's an indication of the next singles to come. My guess would be Sleepwalker then Fever to follow IIHY. The highlight for me is Sleepwalker with its phenomenal vocals. It's been a while since I last heard him belt that high and I love Monte's solo. I'm also very impressed with the dancing which has improved tremendously. The dancers are much tighter and their co-ordination and timing are sharp. One other thing of note is Adam's ability to sing while jumping up and down on the spot during IIHY. He really is extraordinary.

The 5:19 Fierce Show

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It looks like I don't need to bother streaming this tomorrow as the Beeb have kindly made it available on their website. This performance has a mirrorball and Adam in his AMA suit looks fierce as ever and very much in charge. The sound mix is a little strange, and I think it's because it's a dry feed from Adam's mic. I'm not keen on the set as it looks teenage-bedroom cluttered, the feel of which is at odds with Adam's high-maintenance glam. He lags a little behind the music at times and the vocal is rather straight-up but nonetheless good and held very steady as he dances. Visually, this is one of the best FYEs as we get so many beautiful close-ups of Adam's expressions under stunning lighting and he looks amazing. I'm glad to see that he's managed to tune those expressions just perfectly for the cameras, looking much more natural and less forced than he does in the music video and finding the right level of camera interaction.

Enterteenment

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I wasn't able to see this on TV as Nickelodeon is a channel I don't receive. I'm just grateful that it was recorded and uploaded for our viewing pleasure. The first view of the set is a nice surprise as everything's so sharp and clear compared to the soft-focus glare of Five or the smoke of GMTV. The faux-laser light beams remind me of the set from the performance on The View with the camera work lending a music video feel to it. We get some beautiful shots as Adam in his AMA get-up plays up to the camera. For once we can hear his voice becoming a tiny bit affected by the dancing, and 'You thought an angel' being a bit on the shaky side, but he finishes strongly with those perfect glory notes. There isn't much improvisation with the vocal and it looks like the big crotch movements were edited out for the younger target audience, but this has to be one of the best visual treats of FYE so far.

Live Stream from Studio Five

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Adam has an "amazing" interview lined up today on Live from Studio Five which I plan to stream here. It's on at 18:25 UK time, 02:25 Tokyo, 01:25 HK/Singapore 13:25 NY and 10:25 LA.

To save load on my PC, I won't be here on my blog but will try to be in the chat room so if there are any problems, let me know there. In the meantime, while you're waiting, I've put up my first-hand account of my very overdue Heaven review. Enjoy!

In Heaven with Adam

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Original post 05/05/10 22:50 - I'm so far behind with this media blitz at the moment I'm just going to post the performances with minimal comments, otherwise I'll never manage to catch up. The full review for this concert will follow soon, I promise, so please bear with me for now. He was spectacularly dazzling, freakily sparkly, very slickly sculpted, not quite on the human plane of existence in looks, moves or voice. The videos don't manage to fully capture this so I feel privileged to have seen him live. He was completely mesmerising.

Here is the playlist of the best YouTubes:



*Update* - Well after a quiet few days I've finally managed to get all up to date and write something, so here's my very long review:

After a year of waiting to see a live performance, I was ecstatic to have won tickets for what was going to be the pinnacle of this obsession. I enthusiastically got tickets for some of my friends to go but was a little taken aback when some refused them. I'd been inhabiting a different world to them and had forgotten the musical snobbery that I myself had been guilty of. This reality show stigma is a serious disadvantage here because of the history of identikit manufactured balladeers doing bland material. Yes, they may be good singers and have a #1 single or two, but more often than not they don't make the jump into being artists and as a result, end up singing indistinctive rubbish. No one can give enough of a shit to prop up their album and we soon forget about them. The backlash against these reality shows was best demonstrated by last year's campaign to prevent the X-Factor winner from getting an Xmas #1. Many of my friends had no idea who Adam Lambert was but as soon as they found out about the Idol association, they gave me a WTF? look that said 'I thought you had decent taste in music' because my tastes are usually much more obscure. I tried explaining that Adam is very far removed from typical Idol fare but they weren't swayed. The friends who accepted did so because they wanted a cheesy night out or were just curious as to my choice of gig.

Musical snobbery is an obstacle that's difficult to overcome here as people can be very dismissive of anyone from TV talent shows. We regularly deny ourselves pleasures we enjoy because it doesn't fit in with the image we want to project. This applies to our media too, where there's so much intellectualisation of music from magazines such as NME who are downright disdainful of pop and its audience. There's an elitist attitude where the mainstream is associated with uncool teenyboppers, girls, and those who don't know any better. You won't come across many people here, especially guys, who'll openly admit to being fans of pop, though it's just about acceptable to like rock or dance or hip-hop etc. that become popular. It's an unfortunate fact that we equate Idolesque music with crap cover versions of boring pop ballads and quickly turn our noses up, even before we've heard a thing. I think the AMA controversy actually works well in Adam's favour here as he can be marketed as the anti-AI guy who was too much for backwards puritannical America to handle. We love to mock them, and any artist who causes them to be outraged can only be doing good in our eyes.

Much of my day was spent waiting in the hope of meeting Adam but I had no such luck because he was so far behind schedule in a very packed day. I was a little disappointed but my priority was always to see him perform. I think that his meeting so many fans here in the UK had bumped up my hopes. Stalking was a last-minute decision that would've just been an added bonus but left me with very little time to queue for a good vantage point at the gig. I told two of my favourite people to amass all their karmic points together and meet at the gates of Heaven. They came with an open mind knowing very little about Adam but felt slightly disturbed by a plastic-looking photo of him. Even though I'd told them to dress up in a glam-kitsch style, I still had to reassure them that they weren't going to see Gareth Gates. One dressed up a little, one didn't have time, but I made quite an effort. I thought about whether I'd enjoy it more going with fans but I tried not to let that dampen my enthusiasm. There were people to make Glamverts out of.

Prior to going to the gig, I'd expected it would be a little less risqué than the G-A-Y one because it was for a 14+ crowd instead of 18+. As I stepped into the club, I saw a very wide range of people. From the concerts in the US, I'd expected there to be lots of middle-aged ladies. But there were so many more excited teenagers and trendy twenty-somethings. There were some older people who looked like they thought they were in a hospital waiting room and some who turned up in striking costumes. The crowd was more female than male but there were plenty of pretty gay boys surrounded by 'fruit flies' and a couple of all-male groups.

I tried hard to remember the last pop concert I'd been to and I couldn't. I usually head to hip-hop, soul or indie gigs where the demographic and atmosphere are very different. The crowd is much more relaxed and there's room to dance. Small people get ushered to the front and you can usually get your place back if you pop to the bar for a drink. Here there was none of that. In its place was a single-minded intensity and steely-eyed determination to get a good view, which I'd never encountered before. There were no concessions, it was everyone for themselves. Even at over an hour before Adam was due on, the crowd was so densely packed, faint and you'd still be on your feet. Even the Large Hadron Collider had nothing on its potential to create a black hole. My inner Bitchy McBastard would usually have come out to play and found a way of wriggling through the gaps into a prime spot to the annoyance of everyone around. But even Bitchy McBastard felt the hostile vibe and didn't fancy being on the receiving end of hundreds of elbows and thousands of stomps. It would have been the first time for many fanatics to see Adam in concert after following him for a year, and I could understand that they were very serious about seeing him. So I headed to a spot right behind the sound controller. I couldn't see a lot and was very far from the stage but it was better than the view from the middle and there was actually room to dance.

The countdown progressed and the bar area was deserted as no one was taking any chances with their spot. Bored staff stood idle at what I'm guessing were record low takings for the night. 9PM passed and there was still no Adam. There'd been no supporting acts and every time a song finished on the speakers, there was a wave of expectant cheering. People started chanting his name. My friend said he'd heard a couple of girls saying that Adam was always late and he asked me whether he was a diva. We recalled a uni event we'd been to many years ago where the main popstrel was very late and the announcer failed to gauge the audience correctly and pissed off the crowd. He overstayed his welcome trying to get us to cheer her on for so long that she ended up entering the stage to a chant of 'Get your tits out for the lads!' and plenty of boos and jeers. The timing of that conversation was funny because the announcer immediately came on stage and said that Adam, by this point half an hour late, had a diva demand that we needed to cheer loud enough otherwise he wouldn't come on. It was met with my facepalm and eyerolls from my friends followed by cheers, but luckily he didn't draw it out.

Then Adam walked onto the stage.

On tiptoes, I tried to get a better look but couldn't see because it was dark. I caught a glimpse of the back of his pompadour from camera flashes as he got into position, then the whip cracks signalled the start of FYE. The excitement had been building up for a while and now it was time to explode.

What hit me before anything else was the awe-inspiring visual element, and throughout this first song I managed to process little else as I tried (and failed) to video it. Adam looked magnificent as a beautiful, captivating, brilliantly dazzling android. This description is so far from what I was expecting from everything I'd seen of him up until then, but it's meant in the best possible sense. His presence was powerful and it made him into a giant commanding figure on stage. Everything about his appearance seemed almost too precise, from his facial expressions to the sculpting of the sleek glossy contour for his hair, to a luminously smooth complexion. I didn't feel that he occupied the human plane of existence. The movements for FYE perhaps contributed to the android description, being swifter, much sharper and too amplified to come from such a statuesque figure. He sparkled from head-to-toe, emanating so much glitter that he had a glowing aura around him. I was far away but even his spats noticeably twinkled at me. Everything about his visual presentation seemed too full-on freakishly perfect to be human and that's something that the videos don't manage to capture in full.

I recognised the clothes as being from the morning's GMTV, smart, resplendent and glittery. Adam's penchant for the three piece suit made me think that perhaps this was his modern glammed-up take on the eccentric aristocratic English gent. The stage was small and seemed a little too crowded with him, the band, and the dancers all sharing it together. The kooky dancers didn't do much to detract from the focus of our attention, shadowing and lurking like feral creatures from the glam underworld. FYE passed me by in what was mostly a blur as I was processing all this. It sounded much better live with the band, which delivered a version that was a little more rock and less electronic. Throughout the song, Adam's voice boomed but it was the glory notes I'd been most excited about. I'd wanted to hear them for so long so when they came, it was like a release. They sounded full and startlingly strong and I was floored. This performance was somewhat contradictorily both very camp and very fierce as we all turned into his bitches.

Next up was a little banter and I love that his sets are sprinkled with it because it makes him more real and personable. It's always a pleasure to be killed by his charmicide. What surprised me about his velvety speaking voice was that its pitch was much higher than I expected, perhaps a little in the Michael Jackson sense. He introduced Music Again, which I'd been a big fan of since the Gridlock performance. It was a punchy stompfest that I couldn't resist but sing along to. I held my breath for the falsetto part as it's sometimes been a little off, but he nailed it. The guitar solo rocked and included a little Tommy moment which outed all the Adommy/Lambliff shippers with their loud screams. This was a really fun one to be outrageous to, with air guitar firmly in hand.

The jacket came off for Strut, revealing rolled-up sleeves which signalled that Adam was ready for action. This turned out to be one of my favourites from the set. There was something so sexy about the way he handled the cane for the dancing, it was very domineering which maybe subconsciously induced some kinky fantasies. Strangely, it also made me envisage Adam as a golfer, especially with those gloves. The bassline had a good groove and I really enjoyed the choreography where he committed to strutting and thrusting himself about on stage. All that movement didn't have any adverse effect on the singing, which was again top-notch and those glory notes were just incredible.

I cracked up when the tit banter came up, because of the earlier conversation I'd had with my friends. I had no idea what was really going on as I couldn't hear that people wanted to see his teeth. The charmicide was out again, and another one of my favourite moments came when he gave us a shoulder shimmy. He did this so quickly and so well that I was convinced that he'd had prior experience of shaking nipple tassles. I'd gotten a little bored of hearing so much of WWFM but this perfomance made me fall in love with it all over again. The club being flooded with the song was a moving experience as we all sang it back to Adam in unison. His voice was much more affecting live than in any recording, having a grainy and tender texture to it. There was a huge cheer from the crowd as Adam gave thanks in the lyrics. Being so familiar with the song, it was easy to notice all the changes and the belting at the end was nothing short of spectacular. The final note, though not particularly remarkable in Adam terms, marked the moment I was really blown away. It was the closest I'd gotten to hearing him a cappella and I was surprised at how effortless it was for him. It seemed so easy, the vibrato so controlled, and it was backed with power and volume without even a trace of strain. I was awestruck.

After a little more banter, the introduction and a thin shaft of spotlight abruptly shifted the mood for Sleepwalker. The instrumentals made this a very atmospheric one and is up there with my favourites. Adam came in early with the most honeyed of tones, and sang the hell out of it. I yelped with joy as Adam swapped the falsetto with full belt and continued to riff. I was mightily impressed by the band and by Monte's amazing solo. It seems that Adam, not wanting to be outdone by the guitar, went into a spot of improvisation, giving us some of the most mind-blowing notes and staggering runs. Surely he couldn't be human.

Fever exploded with energy and was the one most likely to get people's dancing legs on. Adam was so dramatically fabulous and it was infectious. He worked the stage with over-accentuated moves and left no doubt as to what a showman he was. His cuteness was on full display at the end where he was fanning his dancers. He put the spotlight on and showed his appreciation of the people behind him. Sadly, IIHY would be the last song and the bassline finally got my friend to get his dancing legs on. I concentrated on absorbing the last song and and it was I who wanted to explode with the rush generated by it. The band were fantastic and Adam's soaring voice made it brilliant.

When it finished, I had an urge to grab Adam and make him perform some more. I felt slightly stunned by the whole thing, not quite believing that it was the end and wanting much more. It was disappointingly shorter than expected and I hoped that we'd get an encore or at least I'd get to hear DTRH but that wasn't the case. Everyone hurried off and the club was cleared soon after. My friends were pleasantly surprised because Adam was far from what they'd expected. One of them commented that his trousers were indecently tight but they both thought Adam had huge stage presence and made a charismatic frontman. They compared him to Freddie Mercury without any prompting from me. They also thought that the band were a tight and talented bunch. They're not quite fans yet, but they do have a newfound appreciation of Adam.

Although the sound mix was good throughout, the instrumentals did somewhat mask the quality of Adam's freak-of-nature vocals. I'd been a bit of a sceptic when people had said that the videos made Adam seem a little out-of-tune. I thought they were rabid fans who were in denial that Adam could sing anything imperfectly but now I take it back. I listened carefully and prepared myself for when I was expecting an iffy note but I must emphasise that there was not a single dud note that came from Adam. I've watched the videos and there are a few that didn't quite hit the spot, but live in the club, he sounded pitch perfect throughout. He is truly exceptional. I wish I'd managed to get up close so I could've heard his pure voice unprocessed by the mic and speakers. It's something I've wanted to do ever since being dumbfounded after hearing it on the RoF mentor session. Adam hasn't even made it here in the UK, yet it was already so difficult to get close. He incites such passion, his demand is only going to increase over time, making him even less accessible. I don't believe it'll ever be possible to experience him from a front row spot with drink in hand and space to dance. Being squashed in the front will only be the reserve of those hardcore fans who have earned it through all-day queueing and being parched. So I left feeling slightly wistful but also very relieved to have finally been able to see him after following him all this time. I also felt privileged to have been able to experience Adam's rise and witness him in one of his first UK concerts, before he becomes a huge phenomenon.

The feel of this concert was one that was highly glammed-up compared to the other recent ones, being very slick and polished. The set list was energetic with a considerable share of upbeat dance numbers. As Adam is so multi-faceted it's difficult to experience all of him as it would mean an acoustic interlude and multiple costume, hair and make-up changes within the set. This choreographed production, though an exciting sensory spectacle, came at the expense of the loose, free-spirited, spontaneous hippy Adam of Indio. What's exciting is that I'm sure there are so many more facets he has yet to reveal. I left the gig having had a little slice of Heaven but greedily want much more, resolving to make it my next mission to see every side of him.

Adam on Jonathan Ross - Live Stream

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Well I've finally managed to get my blog mostly back up to date, so please check out the posts over the last couple of days. This is my first attempt at streaming a show so I hope it works OK. My little laptop is actually an antique with a measly 1GB RAM and powered by hamsters, so apologies if it doesn't work or keeps buffering. To keep the load down on my computer, I won't be tweeting during the show or watching the stream. I'll try and be in the chat room so if there are any problems, let me know there.

Although he has his funny moments, I'm not a big fan of Jonathan Ross. I think he's an annoying prat but his show is the most popular late night one, drawing high-profile guests and attracting audiences of a few million. It will be good exposure for Adam, and satisfying to see the universal effect of the charmicide.

It kicks off here at 22:45 UK time, 14:45 LA, 17:45 NY, and 06:45 Tokyo. Enjoy the show!

UPDATE: Looks like it's been delayed by 15 mins because of election coverage.
New times 23:00 UK, 15:00 LA, 18:00 NY, 07:00 Tokyo

Here are the YT recordings of the stream. They're not great quality and I cut out the Feeling Good clip for copyright, but it includes priceless Adam as a 'Southern black woman'.



I've left up the full-length Ustream recording too, for those who want to play a 'Spot Adam in the Green Room' drinking game.

Hold Your Cupcakes! - Switzerland

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This gig came as a most pleasant surprise as I hadn't been able to follow Adam's every move. It's the most extraordinary acoustic set so far as Adam. The set-up is unusual because Adam is in darkness but it allows us to really absorb and feel those vocals. Here is the playlist of all the songs - this is my guess at the set list order so please feel free to correct me. Click the arrows to change the song:



WWFM has a tender start but because we can't see him, it's easier to notice that there's plenty of light and shade. I really love his use of vibrato in the softer notes for a very pretty rendition. When I heard the first note being hummed in Sleepwalker, I thought someone had added a fiddle to the arrangement, only to realise it was Adam's voice. It still astonishes me the range of sounds he can make. This is a flawless vocal that really turns into a free-flow riffing masterclass as soon as he hits the climax and belts out 'You're everything that I want'. The subsequent vocal guitar solo induces goosebumps and I'm stunned all over again at the magnitude of Adam's talent as he lets rip with that staggering, powerful, resonant, gritty and awe-inspiring voice of his.

The charming banter with the sweet Swiss audience - who came prepared with gifts - is heartwarming as Adam bounces into the fun stomping vibe of Music Again. The instrumental arrangement of Broken Open sounds quite different to most previous versions, being guitar rather than piano-centric. It's still quite different from the Stockholm guitar version as there's less strumming for a smoother flow. Mad World is kept freshly jazzed up and has shades of the River Rock performance with the aggressive freestyling at the end. Watch out for that breathtakingly long glory note.

I've been to a glitzy and slick production but I have to make it my mission to see an acoustic set from Adam next. Seeing him jam it out freestyle seems like an experience not to be missed. Adam may have received cupcakes, but it was the lucky fans in Zurich who got the real treat.

The Adam-Factor Finland

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What an incredibly enthusiastic welcome Adam received from Finland. The abundant fans formed massive crowds which looked quite overwhelming. It was another affirming moment as we realised the strength and reach of the Adam Lambert Effect. The memory of the AI WWFM wasn't very far away so I didn't really know what to expect for this one. I'd seen some spoilers that he was wearing a purple tie and shook my head at the absurdity of getting so excited over a fucking tie.



The first part of the video is somewhat frustratingly in black and white (and blue) and just goes to show how much the visuals matter. It was exacerbated by the fact that I was trying to look out for the purple tie. It's quite unusual for Adam to be jacketless while sporting his glam up-do and this outfit is quite different to what I've been accustomed to. It's a bold look and he looks but I'm not so keen on the low-slung harem trousers as I keep expecting him to break it down, Hammer time. The glittery shirt has quite unusual detailing on the sleeves and I wonder if they are detachable. The whole band has smartened up with Cam looking gorgeous and Tommy looking a little like a rebellious schoolboy who refuses to iron or tuck his shirt in.

I'm finally put out of the tie mystery misery when the colourful chorus kicks in and I can see the fetching shade of purple. It seems to match the colour of Longineu's drum kit and jazzes up an outfit that's all glittery grey and black, bar the spats. The vocal is pretty much perfect with my favourite part being the coarser tone of the final line. That timbre has the synaesthetic effect of a luxurious praline as Adam demonstrates exactly what it means to possess the X factor.

Entertaining Studio Five Live

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It would have been good to have had an interview on this early evening show but every time Adam was mentioned as having the pimp spot, it was all very positive. The first shot we have is a soft focus one of his rhinestoned boot moving jerkily to the whip cracks. We see the return of the AMA suit as a dapper Adam begins to sing. The start is a little on the tentative side but he soon gets into his stride, keeping his voice steady as he breaks into his moves. It's a shame the camera work is a bit on the annoying side, dizzying and with some strange angles. This is a commanding performance and everything comes together so well. The vocals are superb, the dancing is tight and he's looking increasingly natural and comfortable on stage giving us an entertaining show.

Gay gay gay gay YAY! - Germany

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Adam made appearances on two TV shows while on his return to Germany. He received a lot of airtime on both. The first of these was morning show ARD MorgenMagazin where he was given a long interview before an acoustic WWFM. This was an exquisite version with beautiful close-ups and melodic variations similar to those on the AI version. The music video playing in the background is a nice touch. He also received a lot of coverage on afternoon show VIVA Live and rather surprisingly, there seemed to be a disproportionate amount of focus on his sexuality. The intro package and the interview both highlighted this. I won't complain though, as it was great to see him receive so much airtime and his charm worked a treat. We also got another stunning acoustic WWFM out of it.





It seems to me that there have been two different marketing strategies on the world promo tour so far. The UK and Japan have received performances of the dancier electro-pop material with glammed-up Adam, whereas everywhere else has had freely-improvising acoustic Adam. I would've thought that FYE would have been pushed in a few more European countries but maybe it's due to budgetary constraints with acoustic sets being cheaper. If that's the case, I wonder if this is an indication of the priority markets targeted. Now that I've seen the bigger productions, I'm very greedy for an acoustic set. I guess I can never have enough.

Grown Differently - Netherlands

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After the more structured productions of the London performances, Adam stripped it all back for an organic acoustic set on the Dutch show MetMichiel. Music Again is aural sunshine, sung beautifully and the my appreciation of WWFM has been completely renewed by the delicate vocals. The perfectionist in Adam makes him have to restart DTRH because Monte's guitar is out of tune. The set is completed by an upbeat MW and I love the sound of his voice where he gets to really belt it.

Adam appeared on TV show De Leeuw which includes an exchange between him and the presenters that's made of win. Another stunnning acoustic performance of WWFM.

Here's my playlist of all the Dutch performances, use the arrows to scroll through the videos:

Heating up GMTV

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I was excited and nervous about this first live performance on UK TV of Adam's debut single, postponed because of the volcano. Although audience numbers aren't huge and the performance wasn't scheduled during the peak time, GMTV is still the second most-watched breakfast TV show here. I did have some concerns over how the vocals would come across as it's a difficult song to sing live. The verses sit in his lower range where he doesn't have as much power. They are also quite wordy, allowing little space for the short notes to develop and the result is that it can sound a tad shaky. I needn't have worried though.



I was glad to see that the intro package was great and I agree with Lorraine that he looked stunning - so glam and made up for the morning while the rest of us were still trying to look awake. His hair is very slick, eyes smouldering, skin all peachy and radiant. The white shirt without a jacket dresses him down just a touch and suggests he's ready to get down to business, but fun business. I think there was a fair amount of nervous laughter during the short interview, but the charm worked and the exchange was sweet.



I love that initial expression on Adam's face where he looks so fierce and powerful. Right from the start, we see that he inhabits the song. With the addition of the bejewelled jacket, sparkly spats and very tight trousers, he looks incredibly sharp and chic. The choreography as far as I can tell is the same as for the performances from Japan and is given an edginess from the jerky dance moves. I think the kooky dancers complement (when they're not obstructing our view of Adam) the performance as they shadow his moves rather than compete with him. They also lend Adam a more commanding and domineering presence, which is key to the interpretation of the song. The vocals are solid throughout, unaffected by the dancing, but they really pick up at the bridge where he sets them on fire.