Eilidh: Live at the Fan's Choice Awards V

When her name is announced, there's a loud cheer from the fans in attendance that rips and echoes loudly throughout the arena, creating a tidal wave of sound that crashes down on the darkened stage violently, a reality sure to make anyone standing backstage ready to perform feel more than just a little nervous about what they're about to face. The reaction of the audience to the young pop star's mere name is clear indication of how hotly anticipated this moment was. The world had been waiting for a long time for Eilidh to bring out a debut solo single, and the slow build, coupled with the range of work she had done with other artist's on collaborations had made the anticipation and excitement for her solo career just all the more tangible. The excitement in the arena at the moment is at fever pitch, for two reasons; for most people, the chance to see Eilidh perform for the first time and see her showcase her fantastic powerful voice which belies her mannerisms is excitement enough, and for anyone else, the thought that ditzy little Eilidh might provide the viral video moment of the century with a fantastically awful failure on stage is just too good to miss. After a brief silence on the stage, the stage lights start to come on slowly, and the crowd cheers again, before a sudden burst of glitter emanates with a pop from each corner of the stage, showering the crowd in a glittery, shiny rainfall. At that moment, a banner unfurls and falls at the back of the stage, at long last revealing the single cover for Eilidh's debut, which also serves as the backdrop for tonight's performance.



After the backdrop falls, there's another brief pause, obviously inserted to ramp up the excitement and anticipation for the performance once again. But just then, from the empty stage, a puff of smoke rises in the very centre, before being joined by another little puff of sparkles and glitter which bursts from the same centre stage point. The crowd cheer again as the smoke dissipates across the stage, leaving it populated by just one tiny figure stood in the middle of the stage, an infectious beaming smile on her face as she looks out. The very second the crowd sees Eilidh stood there, a high-pitched scream of delight rips across the arena loudly again and causes Eilidh to raise her eyebrows in surprise. She could barely believe that such a wonderful reception had been reserved for her. Dressed in knee high sexy white boots, a short silver skirt and a matching crop top, she looks every inch the stunning pop star everyone has wanted her to be for so long.

But is there a problem? With no music accompanying her yet, Eilidh almost looks a little lost in the middle of the stage alone. She stands there for a second or two in the glaring spotlight which rains down on her, exposing her to the crowd and leaving most people feeling, certainly in a situation like this, vulnerable and alone. But not Eilidh, she just laps it up, blissfully unaware that there may even be a problem at all, and she stands there in the middle of the stage with her fantastic pop star outfit on, looking out across the crowd with her favourite blank stare, before she waves at everyone and smiles. It's hard to tell if she could see someone she knew or she was simply waving at everyone who was cheering for her at the moment. Just when it seems like the moment of Eilidh alone might have gone on a little too long, she puts her hand to her ear and nods quickly, before a troop of backing dancers start to fan onto the stage, encircling Eilidh entirely until she can barely be seen. One approaches her and says something into her ear, to which Eilidh nods and shuffles back a few steps. She had obviously not stood on the right mark when she arrived on stage. The crowd cheer again as the stage lights dim a little. Was this all set up? It's hard to know for sure, but everyone seems excited by the whole experience.

There's not much of a moment to think about the authenticity of the intro, however, because just a few seconds after the dancers arrive and the lights dim, the music kicks in. With a brass intro provided by trumpets, the catchy intro booms out over the audience as the dancers break out from their starting places. On the very first note, the dancers break free from their circle, bursting out across the stage in different directions like a dandelion being carried off in the wind. This leaves Eilidh alone once again in the spotlight. But something's changed. From the very first moment the music begins, Eilidh's expression changes. For what might be the first time in her life, there's a focus in her eyes, a confidence and a real determination. As the intro plays, Eilidh stands in the centre with one hand raised in the air, moving her hips rhythmically in time with the music as she smiles seductively into the camera giving a little giggle which she hides behind her hand as she gets ready to sing, the camera zooming in on her. This is an Eilidh so far removed from the stupid little girl most people think she is. She has an all-new confidence that belies everything everyone has ever known about her. It's empowering and exciting, and the mere sight of Eilidh swaying and dipping her hips is enough to send the crowd into raptures.



When the song kicks in for real and the intro ends, the stage is bathed in a striking light blue light, and at that very second, Eilidh turns to stare into one of the side cameras, blowing a little kiss towards it, before she starts to stride purposefully towards the front of the stage, raising the microphone to her mouth and letting her immensely powerful voice break free for the first time tonight. As she sings the first upbeat, happy verses of the song, she walks towards the front of the stage with real confidence, flanked by her dancers all the way as she raises a hand and takes some high steps as the pace of the verse slows towards the end. In the gap between the two verses, she hits a little jump step, her choreography proving as flawless as her voice, the lights changing to bathe the performer in a different glorious colour with each time her feet connect with the stage. Dressed as she is, Eilidh looks every bit the pop star, and no matter what anyone expected to see tonight, it was like the music had brought Eilidh some change in her mindset, and suddenly she wasn't that silly little girl people thought she was all the time. Now she looked so confident and flawless, the perfect pop performance so far as she struts confidently and dances perfectly throughout the opening verses.

Friends say lock him down, lock him, lock him, lock him down
Girls wanna have him now, have him, have him, have him now
Friends say lock him down, lock him, lock him, lock him down
Girls wanna have him now, have him, have him, have him now

The shoe doesn't fit, I'm not your Cinderella
I'll never be the one and I think it's time I tell ya
Stop dealing out cards when I don't know the game
Save it for your queen who'll know exactly how to play
I guess I found a good one at the wrong time
But my heart isn't in it so I'm gonna have to decline

At the end of the second verse of the song, a short interlude akin musically to the intro of the song plays on a loud brass section again, this time slower and more seductive than it was in the very start of the song, giving Eilidh and her dancers a chance to really flaunt their stuff. As she's flanked by two muscle-bound male dancers, the stage lights go dimmer and Eilidh stands between them, one hand on each of their shoulders as they bow to her, and she rolls her hips, first one side, then they other, sexily and slowly. There's a real swagger and attitude in her dancing that really shows how much she loves being on stage. Her performance was something no one would have ever expected from Eilidh, but the sexual overtones and the skilled timing and execution from the tiny star sends the crowd into raptures, cheering and yelling for her as she never misses a beat in her choreography. It's immediately evident how long and hard the young American has been working for this moment, and there's no way she's about to let her biggest chance to grab the spotlight pass her by. When the bridge finishes, there's a second where all that can be heard is three drum beats, one after the other, on which Eilidh stamps a foot each time and then raises her hand in the air, bringing more cheering yet again from the crowd.



The chorus, when it kicks in, is at a much slower pace than the upbeat, fast and happy verse, and it really allows Eilidh to show off that stunning voice she's got stored away. Turning her back and winking over her shoulder into the camera, she starts to walk towards the back of the stage slowly, raising her knee high on each step, in time with the music as she beautifully, flawlessly belts out the chorus of the song, which is instantly memorable and catchy. The high notes are designed to showcase the voice that Eilidh has hidden away for too long while the long drawn out lines of the chorus allow her to really show everyone the skill she has in pop delivery. Eilidh reaches the back of the stage just as the chorus comes to its crescendo, and as she sings through the last line of the chorus, namechecking Cupid, she stops and brings her free hand from her side, sliding all the way up her torso and her face before she raises it high above her head, giving her hips a little shake from side to side in time with the music. When she mentions Cupid, on cue, two oversized sparkling arrows fly in an arc from just beside Eilidh, high over her head. When the arrows collide high above the stage, they both burst into balls of glitter, once again raining down on the stage and the surrounding crowd.



At the same moment when the arrows collide symbolically above her head, Eilidh smiles and gives the camera yet another little seductive smile. The twinkle in her eye shows just how much the young singer is really enjoying herself up there on the stage. It's clear to see that this is where Eilidh is supposed to be as the beautiful glitter rains down on her and washes over her, landing perfectly in her hair and across her shoulders. At the same second the arrows hit each other, however, a group of the muscly backing dancers fall to the ground around Eilidh, dropping to their knees in a semi circle at her feet. She looks down at them as the bridge plays before the next verse and then taps a finger against her chin as if she's thinking intently, mulling something over. She winks into the camera and then shakes her head, stamping one of her long white boots down on the stage, which sends the dancers falling backwards as a red light bathes the stage and everyone on it. The visual is intensely impressive, and once again, the crowd cheer loudly. It was strange to see Eilidh so powerful and empowered, but she really did look so fantastic and so perfectly at home up on stage as she delivered a performance that really had to be seen to be believed for her - no one would have expected this.

When the next verse starts, Eilidh puts one hand intently on her hip as she raises her microphone, singing with real confidence and style now. She has a smile on her face that looks impossible to wipe off. It was clear that she was enjoying this moment more than anything, and no one could stop her from having a good time up there on stage. She was made for the stage and anyone in attendance could see that tonight. As she starts to sing, the backdrop falls from the back to show off a large screen, which has a massive pink heart on it. Eilidh's vocals start just as the heart breaks in two and falls in half, symbolic of her destroying her dancers a few seconds before, and as she brushes off her shoulders, she once more starts to strut towards the front of the stage. As she walks, singing, one cameraman gets too close to Eilidh, and in a break in the line of the song, she grabs the camera, kissing it full on the lens and giggling at the big lip print she leaves on the end of the lens. As she makes her way through the verse, she walks to the front, standing on the edge of the stage and walking along, dancers behind her in a line as she grins and waves to the people in the front row who are screaming out Eilidh's name and reaching out in vain towards her.

Friends say lock him down, lock him, lock him, lock him down
Girls wanna have him now, have him, have him, have him now
Friends say lock him down, lock him, lock him, lock him down
Girls wanna have him now, have him, have him, have him now

When you wrap me in your arms I feel so safe
There's nothing else quite like your warm embrace
But I can't give you the time, it's not fair this way
One last kiss before I let you go and watch you fly away
It was never meant to be and we can blame Cupid's aim.

At the end of what is the last verse of the song, Eilidh smiles and turns to the crowd before walking back to the centre of the stage. She turns and blows a kiss, dropping down to the floor slowly and seductively coming back to full height as she writhes and slithers, almost serpentine in her actions. If it had been anyone else in the world, it would have looked incredibly sexual and exciting, but on Eilidh it still looked a little weird to see her acting so sexy, when she was never really portrayed that way at all. As she stands in the middle of the stage, all dancers now gone, Eilidh is bathed in the spotlight once more, before the lights fade a little and the music slows down considerably. The last verse of the night is a much slower version than what was heard before, so the lights going darker help to herald the arrival of the final hurrah of the track. Eilidh stands there with her eyes fixed on the camera as she waits for the last bridge to end. Her stare is intense, almost predator like as she portrays the powerful woman that she's singing about throughout the song perfectly.

When the final chorus starts, Eilidh looks from side to side, lifting her free hand and seductively beckoning the dancers towards her with one finger as she sings through the chorus. Her powerful voice has changed tact a little in this final chorus, however. Unlike the belting and powerful force it was earlier in the song, at this point it rally does help to show off her whole range as she trades power for a more downplayed, subtle and smouldering style that really helps to bring out the seductive love theme of the track absolutely perfectly. As the dancers crawl closer, Eilidh turns to look at them, side to side, as if trying to banish them with her eyes, almost looking afraid as they, the personification of lust and love, move ever closer to her. As she reaches the stunningly delivered last line of the chorus, which again returns to that powerful voice she displayed at the start of the track, Eilidh looks like she almost gives in from trying to resist the dancers, something that the change in her voice alludes to as well. As they reach her, she puts her hand above her head again, closing her eyes as her dancers hands run up the outside of her thighs, then up the side of her torso and onto her shoulders.



As she sings the final word of the chorus, the dancers with their hands on Eilidh's shoulders suddenly start to tug and pull her down to the floor, until all of a sudden she can no longer be seen, inside what is almost a ball of muscle and oil. The dancers, now dressed in little cupid style wings, are completely hiding her from view at this point, and there's that brief moment of silence, before the light comes back, intense and white, washing across the stage, and the dancers burst back to life. As quickly as they engulfed Eilidh, they suddenly have the pint-sized princess hoisted up on their shoulders, effortlessly and flawlessly choreographed, as the rest of her performance has been so far tonight. As Eilidh sits above them, perched on the shoulders of two dancers, she beams out across the crowd before delivering the final line of the song.

Friends say lock him down, lock him, lock him, lock him down

she sings the last line with a big smile on her face, and as she delivers the final word of the track, the big screen behind her comes back to life once again. This time, the two sides of the heart that had fallen apart earlier in the night come back together at pace, crashing into each other to become a whole once more. At the second the two sides collide, more glitter, clearly a favourite material of Eilidh's erupts from the stage, this time fired out of two large cannons at each side of the stage, sending a cloud of pink glitter out across the crowd and into the farthest reaches of the arena effortlessly. At this stunning crescendo, the crowd starts to cheer loudly for Eilidh who still sits tall above the dancers, out of breath but with a bigger smile than you could ever imagined plastered across her face. This was a special night for Eilidh for sure. For years she has been ridiculed as nothing more than a silly little girl who happened to have a good voice, but tonight she proved that her long awaited arrival as a solo artist had very much been worth the wait. Her flawless choreography and perfect delivery was so on point it was hard to believe it was even Eilidh, and the crowd are lapping up a performance that, tonight, may have launched a brand new star.



When the crowd start to cheer and call her name, Eilidh's smile changes a little, almost like the end of the song made her return to "normal Eilidh" and she starts wave intensely towards everyone out in the crowd. It was like the start of the song brought her focus and determination that allowed her to be more smart than normal, giving her a purpose and a chance to prove herself that she was not going to miss, whereas the end of the song just meant she went back to being the sweet little Eilidh that everyone seemed to love. She smiles again and giggles a little before she raises the microphone. "Thank you so much this is the best day in all my life!" she yells, before blowing the crowd one last kiss as the stage goes dark. Just then, from the darkness comes Eilidh's voice one last time. "I can't see where I'm supposed to be going," she says into her microphone, sending a ripple of laughter through the crowd. They really loved her tonight.

Misu, Miki, Mae Na and Dae Na walk to the front of the stage as the crowd claps for them. The four finally make it up to the microphone and 3 of the girls smile. Misu takes a look at the award in her hands.



Misu : "Wow, this is heavier than I thought...and pointy! Whoever wins this has to make sure you be careful! Somebody could get hurt!"

Miki, Dae and Mae slowly looks over at Misu.

Miki : " Misu... that is a sphere shaped award. It's kinda physically impossible for it to be pointy. But anyway, the year of 2015--"

In the middle of her sentence, Misu violently jabs Miki's arm with the award. A look of determination to cause pain on her face. Miki yelps but she continues.

Mi Su : "Stop acting like a baby! I thought you said it wasn't pointy!! It's not, now is it? Huh? HUH!?"

Dae shakes her head as Mae Na gets tries to stop Misu and gets in the middle of them and takes the award away. Miki begins to look at Misu like she's crazy when she goes off on her out of nowhere. The crowd laughs at the two, thinking their on script. Dae clears her throat. Miki and Misu suddenly remembers where they are and clears their throats as well.



Miki : "The year of 2015 has been a really really really..really weird year for music videos."

Mae : "AIKYA! WE'RE LOOKING DEAD AT YOU!"



The crowd giggles as Aikya Balan is shown on the screen behind them trying to act innocent as if she's done nothing. And then a clip from her video is shown and everybody laughs and claps for it.

Mi Su : "This year in videos there was a LOT of flexibility shown."



The crowd sees a clip from a video of the girl group that they've never seen before and began to holler in excitement.

Miki : "Oops wait no, that's from the video we're releasing next week."

Miki says with a giggle. Dae Na continues.

Dae : "This year has also been really really really sexy."



A clip is shown of Kato's nominated video and you can hear screams from girls and even a few whistles.

Miki: "HAY KATO BOO, HOW YOU BEEN? YOU HAVING A GOOD TIME?"

Mae : "And you really can't forget all of the booty!"



Once again the crowd cheers on the video tease from Mi•Mi.

Miki : "Wait nope that was us."

Misu snatches the microphone from Miki and promotes it again.

Misu : "NEXT WEEK FOLKS!"

Mae Na snatches the microphone from Misu.

Mae Na: "THAT'S WITHIN THE NEXT 7 DAYS!"

Dae Na snatches the microphone from Mae Na.

Dae Na: "THAT'S 3+4, 12-5, 7-0. 7. ALSO KNOWN AS THE LUCKY NUMBER."

The crowd laughs at the 3 and Miki snatches the microphone back. She then pauses for a minute.

Miki: "7 BUSINESS DAYS OF COURSE. BE ALERT BUT STILL GO TO CHURCH ON THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE."

The audience continues to laugh and Miki clears her throat.

Miki : "Here are the videos that has made the most impacT so far in 2015!"



Once done , the camera focuses back on Mi•Mi and they all smile right before Misu announces the winner.

The stage is in complete darkness before a tinkering of a keyboard can be heard which sends the audience into a frenzy as they realise that the performance is about to start and that Weekend are going to appear on the stage at any second. There is always something special about a Weekend show due to the stage presence they have. Even during the ballads which takes away the wacky dance moves and energy which they seem to have an endless supply of, Weekend still manage to connect to their audience and leave a lasting impression. They may not have the dance moves of Rum & Coke or the eccentric stages and costumes like Vanity but they still have a flare which you cannot buy. The extended introduction of their upcoming single "Only Just Begun" continues to play as the five members appear on stage in silhouette form, standing under a huge screen which is displaying a combination of different coloured lights. It resembles the galaxy and the playful patterns merge and sway around together in time with the mellow music. The combination of red, purple, blue, green and orange lights represents each member of Weekend and a similar set up was first shown back at their album launch party. This suggests that this lighting will now be a staple in all of their performances from now on. The audience go frantic when they see the darkened silhouettes of the members walk forward and slowly step into the light. Riley, Dustyn, Billy, Oscar and Scott all look out into the audience and smile. The boys are dressed rather casually for an awards show. The reason being, Dustyn's original outfit was spoiled at the last minute so he had to wear the only other thing he had in his overnight bag. Not wanting him to stand out like the proverbial sore thumb, the remaining four members decided to dress down along with the youngest member of Weekend. The stage is split into three platforms. The top one is darkened out, the middle one is the one which they are standing on right now and also where the live band are set up. A few slopes run down it which takes them out to the front section of the stage which is the biggest area and the one closest to all of the audience. Billy raises his mic as they all carefully proceed down the slopes. As the song is reflecting back on their transition into the band and all about their childhood and teenage years being cut short, photographs of the boys as kids appear on the huge screen. The five pictures then slowly fade into another collage of photoshoots the band have taken part in over the years, starting from 2011 up to 2015.

Reflecting back on all of our Kodak moments
Here's to many more like all the ones we had way back when
There's been so many tear drops and issues
Now I can look back at laugh at the person I was then

Bus to bus, out of breath, such an eager little kid, oh
Used to rush around and dance among big city lights
School books weighing me down as I battled through the rain
No time to fix my hair, just wanted to be on time



Billy opens up the song with his smooth silky vocals, drawing the listener in from the off. The throwback pop sound compliments Billy's dreamy vocals beautifully as it glides over the track with ease. There is a sense of honesty and humbleness in his voice as he starts to tell us about Weekend's insane journey to worldwide success. He sounds a little different during this performance but it's definitely not in a negative way. Billy usually sounds the same as his recordings more or less but tonight he sounds a little deeper, like his voice is developing even more. There's a little roughness to it but as always, he sounds amazing and hits every note perfectly. Either he's experimenting with his growing vocals or he's just suffering from a bit of a sore throat, it doesn't have any negative impact on his performance whatsoever. As he sings, he looks into the cameras and into the audience, very aware of all of his surroundings. Dustyn then takes on the second verse, signing in a huskier tone then Billy and also at a slightly faster pace. His rich vocals stand out even more as it is sandwich between Riley and Billy's parts, two of the softer voices in the band. Like Billy, Dustyn's performance is very believable as he recalls his time in school while recording their debut album. Dustyn also takes the second verse as Billy felt like it didn't seem authentic enough to come from him. For the first line, he sounds a little muted but continues to carry on. Meanwhile, Billy signals to a stage hand that something is wrong with his band mate's microphone headset. It's only a matter of seconds before it's corrected and Blue can be heard more clearly. Dustyn sounds confident as always and makes it look so effortless as he also plays his guitar throughout it. Although his instrument isn't very prominent throughout the whole song, it still takes a lot of effort to focus on all of these things at once. For someone who seems like he's in his one little world half the time, Dustyn always brings it during performances and remains focused. Riley comes in and sweeps us away with the pre-chorus. Although he doesn't have many lines, he is the shining star in this swaying pop ballad. His clear and soaring soprano really stand out, showing a lot of improvement from the first album when it used to seem rather piercing and not very well enunciated. Dustyn and Billy tweeted that Hamilton has been feeling rather poorly before the show, yet here he is sounding just as good as ever. Riley has come a long way during his time in the band. While Billy has progressed in terms of solo air time, it was always apparent that he was a strong vocalist whereas Riley was always seen as "average" and "inoffensive". Now, he's really coming into his own with his unique voice and he has so much control over it that he's commonly seen as their secret weapon.

And as time keeps on passing me by
I try to catch my breath but this whirlwind, it never waits for me
(Yeah, yeah, oh, oh, oh, oh)

I'm still a kid right at heart but got a lifetime of memories in my head
Walked through the deep and the shallow, so many things that I have learned
And there's no signs of stopping, the long and winding rivers still flow
We'll ride it out together but where it leads us, nobody even knows
And we've only just begun, only, only just begun
Only just, only just, only just begun
And we've only just begun yet it seems like a lifetime
Though I would never change a thing that's happened on this ride



As they all sing the chorus together, each member automatically falls into place and get their harmonies right on the spot. When they first formed many critics slated them for not knowing how to do such a thing. Usually Oscar was the one who dominated the chorus back in the "Fired Up" days and when they did try to come together, things never really sat right and it sounded more messy and noisy than anything else. Now though, the harmonies are something they're actually becoming famous for. Everyone knows how Oscar and Dustyn set the bass tone, keeping it low and grounded while the others sprinkle some sugar on top to give it more life. Billy, Scott and Riley have naturally higher voices so they can all work together, overlap or play around with some vocal acrobatics and tricks to create wonderful sounds while Ward and Blue still hold it together. When they all sing together it's like an angelic sixth tone and listening closely and following the lines, you can easily pick out who is singing. Scott sings the last two lines of the chorus on his own. He is always being panned for having the weakest vocals in the band and while that's true, he isn't the worst singer around and he has proven himself time and time again. It's just unfortunate that he's in a band with four very strong vocalists, some who are getting even stronger by the minute. Whether it's just nerves or an off day, Scott does sound a little bit off key to start with and it does put a little kink into a what has been a flawless vocal performance so far. Billy signals to a stage hand again, pointing over at Scott and looking a little worried. Scott's mic is slowly turned down and Khan gives someone a thumbs up at the side of the stage.


We wrap it all up around lunchtime in the studio
Wipe the crumbs from my jumper and it's straight back to school
Coming home after being picked up and driven just like royalty
Though it was far from it, doing maths and changing in the back seat

Though half asleep, I don't think that I've ever missed out
Still had my friends and they always stood right by me
I know that I had little time to just kick back and chill
A hectic lifestyle but I made sure to still keep it real

I swear it was only just yesterday
I try to catch my breath but the years don't seem to wait for me
(Yeah, yeah, oh, oh, oh, oh)



Dustyn takes on another verse and is probably the staple of the song along with Riley's extensive and challenging notes. Dustyn has the most verses and joins in throughout the chorus and the bridge, meaning that he has the longest amount of vocal time. Coming straight out of the chorus which had a little wobble, courtesy of Scott, Dustyn picks it right back up. As it's now into the second segment of the track and it's now in full swing, the vocals and instrumentation is a tad more lively. It's still a mid tempo song so there's no drastic change but the song no longer requires baby steps to ease us into it any more. We are very much in the heart of the song and Dustyn is drifting along with it, swaying side to side and delivering his lines with an infectious smile across his face. Although he's nearly 20 now, Dustyn still has that baby face and will always have a cuteness about him. It's why he's one of the more popular members of the band. He has a warmth, stage presence and something really approachable about him. Being super talented is just the icing on the cake, really. As they move into Oscar's verse, they carefully make their way back up the slops to the second section of the stage which is slightly higher. They are now with their live band and get to see their audience from a higher point of view. Oscar sounds similar to Dustyn like he usually does which isn't a bad thing. Both have beautiful husky voices. The main difference is that people state that Dustyn is better suited to the pop songs as he has more of a "flare" and a "spark" in his voice whereas Ward has a more "sorrowful" and somewhat "glum" tone, best suited to the down tempo tracks. His voice sounds like it's on the mend and nearly 100% there. Apart from a few, almost microscopic little breaks, he more or less sounds like the old Oscar who we all know and love. Despite not taking the lead on the track, Oscar still seems to dominate the stage, often standing in the centre and always being the one to lead them in whichever direction during this performance. It's good to see him back in his element after an almighty knock to his confidence. Riley comes in with the pre-chorus again, sounding even stronger than before as he now has to compete with a slightly more lively instrumentation. While the others sway or make contact with the audience, Riley stands perfectly still with his eyes closed, like he's really focusing on his voice and the music in this moment.

I'm still a kid right at heart but got a lifetime of memories in my head
Walked through the deep and the shallow, so many things that I have learned
And there's no signs of stopping, the long and winding rivers still flow
We'll ride it out together but where it leads us, nobody even knows
And we've only just begun, only, only just begun
Only just, only just, only just begun
And we've only just begun yet it seems like a lifetime
Though I would never change a thing that's happened on this ride

And I will hold my head up, sometimes the going gets tough
But it's all worth it in the end
I take a look around me and see all that I have achieved
Know all that doesn't come easily
And as our lives keep turning, we just keep on learning
We're still those five pesky kids



Staying on the second tier of the stage, Weekend drift into the swooning chorus again and by this time, those who were unfamiliar with the song are probably humming or even singing along. For a rather laid back, 1960's inspired ballad, Weekend have still managed to make it catchy and appealing to a large age range. They have strong pop sensibilities and a wide, eclectic taste in music between every member which is why they can translate so many things into their material and make it all extremely marketable. They aren't just five random, good looking boys who happen to be holding mics. They are true artists now and know exactly what to do and how they want to do it. The crowd cheer throughout the chorus as it all seems to be a triumph for the controversial quartet. Scott even sounds more confident this time around, delivering his lines pitch perfectly and no longer looking afraid of the sheer size of the venue and the audience. As they all sing the bridge together, Dustyn and Oscar's deep, booming voices take the forefront. The crowd go crazy as this part fills the entire arena as there's so much power in their vocals. For a pop boy band it almost seems impossible for them to sound like this. Blue and Ward's voice send vibrations up through the floor and into your body while Khan and Hamilton's higher harmonies intertwine and echo throughout the entire 02. It's without a doubt one of their best vocal deliveries we've ever heard.

And as time keeps on passing me by
I try to catch my breath but this whirlwind, it never waits for me
(Yeah, yeah, oh, oh, oh, oh)

I'm still a kid right at heart but got a lifetime of memories in my head
Walked through the deep and the shallow, so many things that I have learned
And there's no signs of stopping, the long and winding rivers still flow
We'll ride it out together but where it leads us, nobody even knows
And we've only just begun, only, only just begun
Only just, only just, only just begun
And we've only just begun yet it seems like a lifetime
Though I would never change a thing that's happened on this ride



All five members make their way back together, walking rather slowly to keep in time with the mellow nature of the song. The vocals remain silky smooth throughout the entire song as does the instrumentation so the members of the group even tone it down when they are travelling around the vast stage. Weekend (especially Dustyn) are noted for being rather wild performers, jumping around and getting lost in their infectious pop rock tunes which drives the crowds crazy. However, they have remained rather placid throughout this performance and are very conscious of what they are doing. The boys do not want to make any sudden movements which could upset the flow and overall feel of the performance. There is certainly a new found maturity and while they are loved by millions and have been for years, some people are only just wakening up and realising that there could actually be more to them than cheesy pop ditties and ever changing hairstyles. As they make their way down from the higher section of the stage, Oscar leads like he does in many performances and stands at the forefront again. Scott follows on behind him with Dustyn in tow. Billy and Riley start to make their way over from the left hand side of the stage to regroup with the other three members in the centre. The chorus has the usual blend of the deep, husky tones with the softer, higher voices but something suddenly changes after the first two lines. For some reason, Riley lowers his mic and stops singing. For the fans who take a strong interest in the group, they will know that Dustyn tweeted about Riley feeling ill and to them, that's what it looks like. He seems rather pale and tired. To other viewers unaware of this though, he might just come across as fed up or they might not even notice at all. There isn't a huge difference in sound to the casual listeners but for people who know the song and know their music, it doesn't sound exactly the same as the pitch seems to have dropped slightly. Riley provides the highest harmony in the band and for him randomly decide to suddenly stop at this point, it does sound rather odd. Upsetting the harmony and slow pace of the song, a heavy thud and a few gasps from the crowd can be heard suddenly. Like a tonne of bricks, 6"2 Riley falls down to the ground, dropping his mic and smacking the side of his face on the stage. Billy then stops in his tracks and runs over to attend to him. Scott, Oscar and Dustyn remain singing but look over to see what's happening. By this time there is only a few seconds and lines left of the track so Billy signals them to keep on going while he tends to Riley and help also comes from the side of the stage. The two gruff voices belonging to Blue and Ward alongside the soft, delicate tones of Wellington provide an interesting combination and one that actually works rather well. It gives Scott a chance to shine and the aid of two strong vocalists helps cushion and plaster up any weak spots in his delivery. Scott delivers the closing lines of the song on his own, holding it together while chaos ensues around him. After he finishes off, he steps forward to deliver an impromptu message in regards to what has happened over the last 20 seconds.

"Thank you for having us, Fan Choice Awards! As you can see we've had a bit of a scare and we're a man down but don't worry about it. Riley will be fine. I TOLD him not to eat from that buffet! Enjoy the rest of the night, everyone. We're off to A&E."

In regular Scott fashion, he tries to lighten the mood by turning it into a joke and trying to make a few people laugh at the situation. While he's worried inside, he can't let it show. Billy and Riley are off stage, Dustyn and Oscar have finished singing and taking a back seat while Scott was the last to finish off and still the only one actively using his microphone. He had to step up in the moment and try his best to end the performance on a better note than running off stage and leaving an awkward air hanging over that performance. The crowd cheer and a deafening ring fills the entire O2. Collapsing members or not, Weekend still bring the house down.

After the presenter’s introduction, the entire arena goes pitch black for a few seconds before the megatron turns on with this image:



A spotlight is suddenly turned on above the B-stage, where Reese is stood with a microphone stand. Because of the darkness, only his silhouette is visibly seen. There is silence in the entire arena for a few seconds, long enough to rouse concern in the audience. Then, Reese’s voice is heard and all concern is stifled as the singer sings a few lines of a song that is never heard before. There is a tiny hint of nervousness in Reese’s voice as it trembles a little bit in the first words, but it’s gone by the time he gets to the second line. He finishes off the acapella singing with a vocal run so as to keep things interesting.

Guess that’s it, it’s really over
No cold sweats, screaming any longer
I would have lied if I’d said I didn’t miss yesterday
I did anyway, ‘cause that’s what you do these days

Reese pauses a bit to enjoy the appreciation from the crowd of his singing in the cheering which he receives during the pause. The words that were on the screen just a few moments ago fade out, and a new word appears:



There is a sudden build-up of sound, which reaches the climax at the sound of an electric guitar, which constitutes the intro of “Stockholm”, Reese’s new single. The arena is now re-illuminated to show the band at the main stage, but the focus remains on Reese, who addresses the audience, “Hello, O2,” to which the audience responded enthusiastically. He starts singing the intro of the song, following right away with the first verse and pre-chorus as soon as the drums come in.



Stay still, stay still now
Might hurt for a lil’ while

Marked with criss-crosses of scars
Hurt by my one and only
Scattered-bruised, black and blue
Things never change anyway
Like a painting incomplete
More paint strokes every hit
Never-ending, this torture
And I might be losing this fight

One word was all it took to set him alight (set him alight)
But forgiving took one apologetic smile
Oh, your eyes have never lied

As soon as Reese finishes the pre-chorus, there is a brief pause in singing; Reese gingerly attempts (and fails) to take the microphone out of its stand (which explains the pause). He finally manages to wrench out the microphone and resumes singing the chorus as he immediately starts walking down the runway to make it to the main stage. There is a little sway in his hips as he walks, but he tries to keep it to a minimum.

Palettes for your ever-changing hues, sharp and shady sketching tools, portfolio inside
The contrast so close, only beauty could be defined
Never did well with pastel the way you smudged the details and complimented deformities
Only you know what draws out the best in me

"Stay still, stay still now
Might hurt for a lil' while
Aren't you in this for the long run?"
Only you know what draws out the best in me
"Stay still, stay still now
Might hurt for a lil' while
Aren't you in this for the long run?"
Only you know what draws out the best in me

Once he returns to the main stage, he walks right to the designated spot, where stands another microphone stand and starts singing the second verse. Reese is more loose this time; he starts to move around more and sneaks in a mischievous wink in a moment, which pretty much contradicts everything the song stands for. He continues onto the second pre-chorus, which is noticeably shorter than the first. As soon as he is done with the chorus, water starts streaming down around Reese lightly, keeping him trapped in the small space that is still dry.



Razor cuts one through fifty
Thirteen and twenty-nine didn’t hurt
On the other side of death and life
But I’ve never felt so alive
Fifty-one through one-oh-one
On pale skin paints the blood
When he holds me, I’m alive
I’m certainly losing this fight

I once again failed to wrench my heart away
Oh, your eyes have never lied

Palettes for your ever-changing hues, sharp and shady sketching tools, portfolio inside
The contrast so close, only beauty could be defined
Never did well with pastel the way you smudged the details and complimented deformities
Only you know what draws out the best in me

"Stay still, stay still now
Might hurt for a lil' while
Aren't you in this for the long run?"
Only you know what draws out the best in me
"Stay still, stay still now
Might hurt for a lil' while
Aren't you in this for the long run?"
Only you know what draws out the best in me

The “rain” continues as he goes through the short bridge, which is a repeat of the first three lines of the second part of the chorus, with an unfamiliar vulnerable tone. But it only lasts shortly as Reese’s vocals return to full force for the final chorus. And as Reese starts to sing in full force again, so does the rain; it now streams downward onto Reese too, getting him wet, however, he is still able to pull through and continues to sing the final chorus.

"Stay still, stay still now
Might hurt for a lil’ while
Aren’t you in this for the long run?"

Palettes for your ever-changing hues, sharp and shady sketching tools, portfolio inside
The contrast so close, only beauty could be defined
Never did well with pastel the way you smudged the details and complimented deformities
Only you know what draws out the best in me

"Stay still, stay still now
Might hurt for a lil' while
Aren't you in this for the long run?"
Oh-oh-yeah
"Stay still, stay still now
Might hurt for a lil' while"

Stay still, stay still now
Stay still, stay still now

The “rain”, at long last, starts to die down, but the performance doesn’t seem to quite get to its definitive end yet; the piano is still playing, and for that, Reese sees it appropriate to cram in some ad-libs before finally ending the performance, the piano silencing two seconds after.