Reviewer: Daniel Shipman
Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Taking place just after Yoko Ono’s Bells for Peace (and with several of the bells making an appearance), Janelle Monáe brings her Dirty Computer tour to Castlefield Bowl and opens MIF19 with a bang.
Opening with Crazy, Classic, Life, the energy on stage is high from the very first moment and this is reflected straight back by the sold-out crowd. The four-person band sound as if they have twice as many members thanks to the sheer dynamism of their musicianship, whilst the backing dancers bring a truckload of charisma to the stage and disguise the several costume changes with ease. (The vagina trousers from the Pynk video are especially well received.)
Midway through the set, Monáe pauses the music and delivers a monologue about the importance of supporting minorities and standing up to oppression. In the hands of a lesser performer, this could have hit a bum note and been an overly sincere lull in proceedings, but these politics are hard-wired into Monáe’s music and so it feels right at home.
The much-anticipated encore came in the form of a marathon version of Come Alive, which is extended well over ten minutes and yet somehow keeps the crowd in a frenzy for the duration. The exception to this is a whisper-quiet middle section where Monáe commands her audience to crouch down and ventures into the centre of the standing area before setting them off like fireworks. It is a sight to behold, a joy to experience and a fitting end to a concert by an artist who is visibly at the top of her game.
-Daniel Shipman