Bruno Mars live in London review: Classic showman brings old school glamour to Wembley
On the first of his six nights at Wembley Stadium, Bruno Mars proves why his timeless showmanship is still attracting the biggest crowds.
By Ben Jolley
There’s no doubt about it. Bruno Mars is a classic showman, armed with ballads, bops, a brilliant brass brand and old school charm.
It’s the kind of sound that some would write off as corny, while others would dare to call it timeless. And given that he’s set to play no less than six Wembley Stadium dates this summer, you sense it’s the latter category who are winning the argument.
On the first night of his residency, the 80,000-strong audience lap up every minute of the Hawaiian artist’s two-hour performance.
During an introductory video of Mars in a church, he prays that he’ll be able to “give a show they’ll never forget” (he needn’t worry), before leaving a rose on a piano, walking through the doors and into a bright white light. As the screen lifts on stage, he appears shrouded in smoke, looking as if he’s stepped out of the 70s in a sparkling rose-encrusted red suit.
Named ‘The Romantic’ tour, all but one song from his February-released album of the same name feature in the career-spanning setlist. From opener ‘Risk It All’ – for which Mars shines in front of a stained glass window – his vocal range is incredible yet effortless. ‘Cha Cha Cha’, next, showcases his slick dance moves (and love for the bongo drums). But it’s ‘I Just Might’ – which signified his long-awaited return to the pop game at the start of this year – that really gets the party started. With a strobe-heavy ‘24K Magic’ and funky ‘Treasure’ sandwiched in between, it’s a strong era-hopping start
“We’ve gotta celebrate all the beautiful ladies here tonight,” he charms, eliciting deafening screams as the Angel Baby fan cam is switched on. A brief rendition of Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get It On’ – performed from the hood of a classic red Cadillac, naturally – proves that the 40-year-old has most certainly still got it.
Things get increasingly flirtatious as Anderson .Paak – who opened the evening as DJ Pee Wee – joins Mars for a velvety voyage through six seductive Silk Sonic numbers. Among them is “the song that started the project”, ‘Leave The Door Open’, which soars thanks to the naturally charismatic pair’s exquisite harmonies. There’s some fun faux-oneupmanship too: after .Paak downs a “cheeky pint”, Mars sports an England scarf and hat while holding a Paddington Bear teddy.
With the Brits fully won over (as if they weren’t already), normal service resumes as 2010 throwback ‘Marry You’s church bells chime to a confetti explosion and ‘Die With A Smile’ builds into a rock epic. Stripping away the fireworks and pyro from earlier in the evening, a piano-led medley of ‘It Will Rain’, ‘Talking To The Moon’ and ‘Grenade’ demonstrate that Mars is equally at home when alone on stage.
After his saxophonist serenades with an instrumental ‘Versace On The Floor’ interlude, Mars returns in another suave suit to deliver fan favourites ‘Locked Out Of Heaven’ and ‘Just The Way You Are’, both of which get everyone in the stadium belting the choruses at the top of their lungs.
Seconds later, it’s an entirely different scene as the masses get down to the infectious bass of ‘Uptown Funk’. Somehow, Mars and The Hooligans still have more to give, as ‘Dance With Me’ brings the spectacle to a heartfelt close, the song’s emotion channeled not just through his vocals but the riff-heavy outro too.
A true artist who knows exactly what his fans want – a mix of love songs and timeless party hits – Bruno Mars remains at the absolute top of his game.