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NIALL HORAN REVIEW: BRIXTON ACADEMY

NIALL HORAN – FLICKER TOUR REVIEW

Niall Horan of One Direction is currently on Tour with his latest songs as a Solo Artist in the tour named after his first album FLICKER. Niall stopped by the Brixton Academy to bring his individuality to the legion of fans that adore the aforementioned band and Niall himself.

Unless you have lived in a bubble for the last 8 years One Direction, the band created by The X Factor TV show, stormed to worldwide success taking in worldwide tours, millions in single and albums sales and charting No.1 for both single and Albums too. In 2015 the band decided to take a break. Led by the exit of Zayn Malik each performer has gone on to display their own individual style of music as an individual.

It is this that has surprised me most, that instead of following on from the pop formula that created them, each has a defined and varied style that is now leading them to their own personal success.

Niall Horan is helping to lead this success with a No.1 Album in his home country of Ireland, Canada and where else but to the top of the US Billboard Charts in America, with Top 10 positions almost everywhere else peaking at No.3 in the UK.

Bringing his own style of Folk Pop, Niall is influenced largely by acts such as Michael Buble, Swing Legends such as Sinatra and Dean Martin and rock acts such as Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Bon Jovi and more recently, The Script.

So here I was at The Brixton Academy, arriving just after 8 pm, I had missed the support act of Julia Michaels of whom I have read in another review by The National Student to be brilliant. My unreserved seating ticket led me upstairs, but by the time I got there it was standing room only up above as the venue was at capacity, fans of all ages came to see Niall Horan do his thing, these fans in Horan T-Shirts had chosen to see Niall for him and not his One Direction exploits, Mothers of Parents escorting their younger children and even some like me at the age of 35 by themselves in anticipation of this Irish singer.

Darkness covered the stage until Niall entered. Screams roared when he did. Seated viewers stood and remained stood for the entirety of the concert.

A common sight at concerts now is to see everyone with their phones out taking photos or video, Niall Horan actually managed to get this packed out crowd for just for three minutes of our life to put phones away whilst he played the title song of the album too us of which fully attentive was sung back to him pretty much word for word. Such is the media-savvy ever social youth today, this was an amazing achievement.

Running through the songs on this Platinum Album our best known maybe being Slow Hands appeared to excite the audience most. This song is fantastic and manages to keep us singing away with this catchy tune that buzzes away in your head afterwards.

Looking ever comfortable on stage and confident he also covered Camilla Cabello’s hit ‘Crying in the club’ of whom he sights as a good friend of his, and was also one of his favourite songs of last year he told us. Other highlights were his cover of another influence of his Bruce Springsteen and the song Dancing in the Dark.

No concert would have been complete with a throwback however to his One Direction roots and so we had a couple of songs in Fools Gold and the catchy Drag me Down, which excited the fans ever more than they were already.

Niall was appreciative for being able to return to the Brixton Academy and play, and even more so to be able to play to his legions of fans of whom again he thanked for taking the time to come and see him, which appears to be an honest reflection of Niall himself.

This was a fabulous concert, and even at the age of 35, surrounded by youths half my age Niall Horan manages to appeal to myself and the varied age group around me. Niall certainly has a bright future as a solo artist and on this evidence of his first album – long may it continue.

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