Pussycat Dolls On Tour // European Tour // Reviews

Reviewed by : Matt (PCDWorld)
Venue: Wembley Arena, London

I attended the show at London's world famous Wembley Arena on the 1st December 2006, this is my review and the official PCDWorld review of the show.

I left home at around 6.20pm, Wembley is only 25 or so miles from me, I travelled by car. I have done this before for a previous concert and it didn't take too long, but due to road resurfacing just outside Wembley and some other roadworks in London (along side the poor weather) there was more traffic on the road, and I finally reached Wembley Arena at 8pm, thinking that I had missed Rihanna.

Wembley has recently undergone a major redevelopment, the last concert I attended there was in 2004, my other concerts have been inside the 'tent' at Wembley which was removed in April of this year when the venue reopened.

As I got into the main arena, the lights went off, and Rihanna took to the stage, so fumbling through the darkness I made my way to Block A3, found an unsuspecting steward who had a touch to show me where on earth Row 10 was! So eventually I found my seats, which where right in the middle of the block so central seats, 10 rows back, I wasn't complaining too much!

Rihanna belted through her hits plus some other ones, I'm not a huge fan of her, but she had fans at the venue, a fair few too, who cheered her along, he said her mum had come over to watch the show too which was probably nice for her, but you had to feel for Rihanna, although her name is on the ticket, and the audience did appricate her 40min (or so set) she was really the warm-up act for the Pussycat Dolls.

She, and her DJ, vacated the stage and the stagehands frantically removed her set from the stage, sort of a smaller version of the PCD stage, why she couldn't use their stage is beyond me, she was supposedly co-headlining but everything just made her look like a support act.

After much waiting, seemingly 20mins or so the PCD hit the stage, I won't go into a detailed song-by-song review as there are a lot of those already!

Here are my highlights from the show and my general feelings about the show as a whole.

Carmit (and a few others) seemingly called it 'Wembley Stadium' a few times, obviously confused that the gigantic stadium outside (which still isn't open) is the actual stadium, they got there in the end and did call it Wembley Arena by the end of the show!

After Stickwitu (as per other shows) a few members got 'emotional' - now I am not sure if they are generally touched by this, or its 'part of the show' so to speak, but this being Wembley (no offence to other areas of the UK) Nicole and a few others seemed touched that they where able to sell out the world-famous Wembley Arena, although its probably not the grandest venue in the UK - its redevelopment has helped it A LOT now - Wembley is still Wembley and I'm sure they had some sort of feelings for actually playing there, and to a sold out show.

The show, was entertaining, I cannot see why some of the media reviews said it wasn't, they belted out their hits, the bass made the arena tremble and they can obviously pull of this show well (as its basically what they've been performing all year across the world, as a support act or main act, with songs being added/removed/changed as necessary). As a first headlining tour, I've seen a lot worse, the PCD where very professional, knew what they where doing and pulled of a excellent show, not that I've seen better shows, I have, but this is the debut headlining tour, they got a lot of growing to achieve.

Although I enjoyed the show, I have a few questions about the show setup. The show was heavily based around Nicole, I fully understand why, and Carmit and Melody at least got some solo singing pieces, but Jessica, Ashley and Kimberly where very underused. They got their own dance section during the 'Pink Panther' section but where on the outskirts of the show for the far majority of it.

Nicole can really sing, and sing very good, shes easily up there with the best live female vocallists in the music world, but she did get two solo songs, plus obviously sings everything else PLUS she spent the most time talking to the audience. Just a feeling, why couldn't have the other three had more talking to the audience parts? Might have brought them into the show a lot more and make them seem less isolated.

Not that I'm complaining, they put on a value-for-money show (Tickets in London where around £30 mark, thinking Christina played Wembley the night before and my tickets for my block/row would have been close on £100 each!) The dolls put on a great show which was entertaining, and live (which makes a change from some acts ....) whenever they come back here I will be first in line for tickets, but they have to take it up a level, add some pyro to the show, use the lighting effects more and first and foremost drag a live band with them! They perform with a band on US TV, they just gotta bring that on tour with them, PCD, Live band, pyro, they could really become a 'must see' concert for fans, and non-fans alike!

I have to add, if you where at the venue and near Row10, Block A3, anyone notice how my entire row emptied before the Sway encore. Everyone just got up and left, it was me and a few others left in the row, quite funny that they missed the last three songs, oh well lol