Concert review: Giving them hell!

Chris Brown hit Denmark on a leg of his European ‘Hell of a Nite’ tour, bringing a few friends with him and a marvellous live show.

Although rapper French Montana dropped out, which took away part of the justification for the 600 kroner ticket price, Chris wowed Forum concert-goers with his trademark dance moves and vocals. There was also graffiti, a screen showing music video clips and graphics as well as the occasional firework.

It took half an hour between the last opening act and an announcement that declared: “The Hell of a Nite tour starts”. The stage had to be built first: while other performers had a DJ with them, Chris had a crew of dancers.

August owned June
It was an eclectic mix of opening acts of whom the highlight was a singer who not only rivalled but obliterated Brown in terms of vocal performance: the New Orleans crooner August Alsina. While Chris had the highest amount of energy and fanciest footwork, August was laid-back and put his vocal chops on full display, going a cappella on a number of occasions. For ‘Kissin’ On my Tattoos’, August sat still and sang to the ladies a song he singled out as one of his favourites from his debut album. His performance was not without its energetic moments either. Party anthems ‘Numb’ and ‘I Luv This S***’ served as a perfect warm-up for this eager audience.

But let’s face it, even August knew who they came to see, as he asked the crowd “If you here to see my boy Chris Breezy, make some noise.” The bulk of the audience may not have known August’s catalogue in depth before, but this young man knows how to make an impression. He delivered the kind of performance that will make his streaming numbers in Denmark spike.

My boy Chris Breezy
As far as Brown was concerned, he delivered some magic and also showed he is no slouch when it comes to singing himself. He ran through personal hits like ‘Loyal’, ‘Ayo’ and ‘Look at Me Now’ accompanied by dazzling visuals. He also had an interlude in which he sang hooks from songs he was featured in. This included Omarion’s ‘Post To Be’ where he let Jhene Aiko’s infamous verse play after Chris had finished singing.

All in all, a killer show. Whether it was worth the 600 kroner can be debated, but this performance had something for everyone from the visual and vocal to pure entertainment. A fun night with the ultimate showman Brown and, oh yeah, August Alsina sang his way into the hearts of Danish concert-goers too.