Continuing the summer series of live music in Cardiff Castle, presented by Depot Live, JLS took to the stage last night as part of their Summer Hits Tour. Dedicated fans waited eagerly for the boyband to light up the night in their famous colours of blue, red, green, and yellow. JLS weren’t the only famous name on the line up, they were joined by R&B legend Lemar who was tasked with warming-up the audience before the main event. I was excited to see Lemar perform, he’s one of those that I would never seek out a concert for, but I enjoy his music enough to be excited that he was on the line-up. I’m sad to say that his performance was a little disappointing, he doesn’t seem to sing within his vocal range and therefore some of his song choices fell a little flat. When he does choose the right songs, his voice is phenomenal. Lemar’s iconic songs are 50-50 and If There’s Any Justice, both of which did not let the crowds down at least, as Lemar had everyone bopping and singing along to these.
The JLS tour is titled ‘Summer Hits’ and they certainly delivered on that promise; opening with one of their famous tunes and continuing to sing hit after hit that had the crowd screaming along to every word. I was someone who grew up and went through my teenage years as a fangirl of JLS. My bedroom wall was covered in posters of their faces that I’d torn out of girly magazines. The opportunity to see them perform as an adult comes from a place of pure nostalgia. Despite rarely listening to their music these days, I still remembered every word to every song, and I was taken back to so many memories of growing up. I have personally coined JLS as ‘the Take That of my generation.’
Seeing a band like JLS is certainly only one that can be handled by someone who is, and has always been, a big fan. They are unapologetically cringey in what they do and play on the fact that they are heartthrobs to many. JLS asked the crowd if it was their first time attending a JLS gig or if people had been to many; the loudest response came from the latter, proving that they have a dedicated fanbase supporting their shows (myself included, as this was not my first time as a JLS concert). It’s one of those shows that you go into fully expecting to let yourself go and embrace the cheesy environment of seeing your teenage crush perform. The only small complaint I have about the show is that they interrupted their hits to play a DJ set in the middle, which felt a bit random. I was there to listen to their hits, and several of them were missed out in replacement of songs by other people. Overall, it was a great night of singing and dancing to my heart’s content!
Hats off to the staff and organisers of the Depot Live events, they are well managed, the site offers everything you could need and is well laid out, and the staff are incredibly friendly. I think it’s underestimated how much a well organised event influences your enjoyment of the night. There’s a massive line up happening in Cardiff Castle all summer, you can check it out here: https://www.depotlive.co.uk/
