"Having played the indig02 earlier this year I can say that it has got to be the best live venue in London,
great sound and visibility for the audience, and bars everywhere!" - Mark King, Level 42
N-Dubz @ indigO2
The London Paper
★★★☆☆
N-Dubz are proud that their fans play their tunes full blast on buses. With their silly catchphrase ("Na-na-niiii") and main man Dappy's penchant for Easter bunny-style floppy hats, you'd be forgiven for taking them as a joke.
Yet last night, the former MOBO winners showed that they're much more credible on stage than when they're being blared out of a phone.
It's hard to tell if the Camden trio are stunted or made brilliantly unique by Dappy, who walked on looking like Brian Harvey after joining the Taliban. But the fans went wild as the group - including Tulisa and Fazer - belted out hits like Strong Again and Ouch, and they were kept hyped throughout.
The show was constant energy, with occasional lyrical lewdness on songs like Sex reinforcing the generation gap between the kids and their parents.
The only let-downs were unnecessary covers of Natalie Imbruglia and Sugababes. But apart from some crap, it was mostly brrap.
Ne-Yo @ indigO2
The London Paper
★★★☆☆
Ne-Yo's album is to be called The Year Of The Gentleman - and that was precisely the theme of his hour-long offering at The O2 last night.
The band wore grey pinstriped suits, the backing dancers wore full ball gowns and Ne-Yo himself sported a black, then a white, tuxedo with top hat, bow tie and diamond cane in tow.
He effortlessly mixed an old-fashioned flavour reminiscent of the Rat Pack days with the sweetly catchy R&B of established hits such as Because Of You and Closer. There was class and sophistication, and a storyline about a boy who reasserts his independence after meeting a girl who cheats on him.
Entertaining enough, but lacking that breathtaking moment of, say, an Usher.
Not an amazing show but Ne-Yo was, as always, a perfect gent.
