Superstar Example took to the stage at the o2 Academy on Monday, 27 October, we went to see him.

On approaching the concert queue, there were people of all ages queuing up ready to rock the place, but there was a noticeable amount more of teenagers. The venue opened at 7.15pm and everyone seemed ready for Elliot Gleave to entertain the people of Bournemouth.

The vibe at the O2 initially felt very ‘clubby’- the DJs that supported Example were blasting out all sorts of dance, rave and drum and bass to get the crowd excited- which definitely worked. For an hour and a half those on the ground had to decide whether to get involved with the mosh pits being created by the testosterone filled young males, or get as far away from them as possible.

There was a generally good response to the DJs as the they revelled in hyping everyone up for Example. They were like marmite- you would either love them or hate them. The two supporting DJs seemed to differ in genre, but not in enthusiasm which the crowd loved. However whatever your opinion was, there was mutual agreement that Mr Gleave was well worth the wait when it got going.

As soon as Elliot and his band walked on to the stage, the lighting in the room changed, the surrounding lights had dimmed and the strobe lights intensified the atmosphere. The crowd responded in loud screams and cheers, expectant and excited for what the first song would be. The floor was so packed there were no space to be walking around or moving elsewhere, just a still, but slightly bouncing ocean of quietly buzzing fans.

Then the live music kicked off with the opening of the singers’ popular ‘Stay Awake’, and the audience went crazy again. So crazy, that a fan somehow made it onto the stage alongside the band, singing and dancing with them. He was soon dragged away by security, with Elliot joking that, “Someone is trying to murder me!”.

He and his band were fantastic at keeping the crowd excited, his enthusiasm resonated through the arena, and the mellifluous tone of his voice balanced perfectly with the Dance genre his music is more commonly associated with.

The atmosphere was exactly as it should have been when seeing a live performer; there were always hands in the air, the desire to jump around, sing your heart out without a care in the world, and during the song ’10 million people’, many were lifted onto the shoulders of their respective friends or partners to revel in the fun of it from a height. The setlist was a good one; with a mix of some of his older and much loved songs and some newer ones from his 2014 album ‘Live life living’.

It felt like an enormous privilege to be there enjoying it all live as Elliot later hinted that this would probably be the last tour he would be on for a while- and he sent out his appreciation and thanks to all the fans that had made it to see him on the night. His absence is likely to be due to the fact he is starting a family with his pregnant wife, Erin McNaught.

Though whilst able to enjoy listening to Example through earphones, hearing him live was mind-blowing, and an experience definitely worth repeating. It was beyond all expectations, and on behalf of The Rock, we’d like to wish Elliot and Erin the best of luck with their new family, and we look forward to seeing Example back on tour again in the future.

Reviewers: Ellie Watson and Bolly Binyakob

Bolly Binyakob

October 31, 2021

Categorised under

Culture Music Bournemouth concert Example example concert bournemouth bollybinyakob onlineeditor

Tagged in

Bournemouth, concert, Example, example concert bournemouth,