Pierre Petrou
(from HOT 'n' GOLD)'s review
of the Wembley Shania Twain concert


Shania Review from Hot n Gold's Pierre Petrou
- The best concert reviews direct form the Hot n Gold Team.

So here I was, Wembley Arena, London, 17th February 2004... About to experience another pop concert…
or was I?

Was it going to be my first Country Superstar concert, or a mix of the two? I mean, c’mon - is Shania Twain country, pop, or both? I was about to find out….

The place was packed, 10,000 waiting fans, second date for Shania at Wembley and when the lights dimmed, the crowd got excited and the unique rocking sound of
“Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” kicked in. If you weren’t in the mood for a rockin’, sing-a-long swaying, boot stomping, dancing time, it was obvious that you soon would be! The indoor fireworks lit the stage and we were all up on our feet in no time!

We were a few rows from the front of the centre-stage and the people next to and around me (including Hot 'n' Golds, Andy, Rob & MD Clive) were already bopping around and singing, in sheer amazement of merely being in the presence of Shania.

As she emerged from the ground in a red, black and grey top, black trousers with silver around her waist and ankles, and smart boots. It wasn’t going to slow down either… Shania quickly followed with the title track of this tour, “Up!” and then one of my favourites from the ‘Come On Over’ CD, “Honey, I’m Home”. Her band were spread out over the stage, and they obviously all work well together.

This concert was going to be great!. Okay, we all know some of the songs, and I may know a few of the older tracks, but to see them being performed live, with a band of violins, bass, drums and guitar right in front of my eyes was a powerful reminder of how this performer is first class and 24 carat gold.

Shania spoke to us as if we were all her friends and as if we had just popped round for tea, telling us that she was stuck in traffic on her way back from The Brits where she gave Justin Timberlake an award.

Whilst the rest of the music world may have been at the Brits, I know if I had the choice, I was where I would want to be!

Anyway, back to the songs, and as Shania put it, “one for all you jealous guys”… Another one of my favourites, “Don’t Be Stupid”. Superb. The violin, the drums, the performance, by now quickly made me realise that I was part of a moment in music history.

She came down to greet more fans and a load of kids flocked towards her again. This led me to the thought of the age span of her fans. From what I saw around me, I would say from about 12 to 50. Another chat now and Shania explained that some of the proceeds from the concert were going to a charity, and tonight it was the NSPCC. (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children).
This prompted a round of applause and surely made people realise what a lovely, caring and generous person Shania is.

If you had ticket 293, then you were allowed on stage for some photos with Shania and autographs, etc. Sadly, it wasn’t my ticket !!

Now it was time for the lovey dovey stuff. Again, coming down from centre-stage, another set of fans flocking for autographs with their posters and photos of this superstar. Shania was handed a single red rose and seemed to effortlessly sing perfect vocals to “When You Kiss Me”, as she signed autographs. The hairs on the back of my neck were once again standing to attention. And then…. “Who’s Bed have your boots been under?”

Now for some real country I thought! Well, the place erupted! I could hear the sounds of a steel guitar and I didn’t think that these British people would know or even like this kind of thing! Wow!

- you gotta be joking Pierre - editor!

Country music rocks! I think that the crowd were also amazed at this performance. Then, after reading out a few dedications which were handed to her during the earlier signing moments, it was what, we, as an audience always feel is “the boring bit”.

Yes, you’ve guessed it, the band introductions. But surprisingly, this was the best and most original band intro I have heard! The band has been with Shania for nearly 10 years and comprises of “8 guys and 1 gal” , who all passed the mike to each other announcing who the next one was and where they were from, etc. (From all around the world, including Australia and the States.)

Little did we know, but by the time they all got through, Shania had disappeared, and then re-appeared in a "brown" and turquoise sleeveless top sitting on a stool, back on centre-stage. This was when I noticed her country vocals at best as she sang, “Forever and For Always” with the stool slowly turning around so all the audience could see her sing. Now I know why some of the tickets for this concert cost in excess of £50!!.

I would love a copy of the DVD of this concert. Shania was gorgeous with her long brown hair, dazzling eyes, perfect features and skin-toned texture. Her jewellery was clearly competing with her natural good looks. It was during
“Ka-Ching!” that I noticed the matching turquoise colour on her boots and her hair was being blown around by the ‘air’. Shania loved doing this track- you could see it in the rhythm of her moves, her facial expressions, and the way she swayed to and fro with the effects of the steel guitars and violins. This is indeed a very talented and intelligent lady. So obvious to see why too.

Her next track was “What a Way to Wanna Be”, where she signed some more autographs for fans as she almost “rapped” through the chorus of this one! This concert had something for everyone. Shania clearly enjoyed meeting her fans and the people in the audience, some reportedly paying up to £200 for their seats, from ticket touts!!

Then it was time for someone in the audience to be invited on stage. Here was my chance I thought. But not this time! Instead it was a ‘cute little girl’, aged just 4 years old, whose name was… Shania! Yes, even the singing superstar was surprised and said that we all would think that this was ‘rigged’, but apparently not!
Unfortunately, “Little Shania” didn’t know any of Shania’s songs, but what a memory that is going to be and surely a proud moment for her family. The caring Shania passed “Little Shania” back and then broke into a medley, which went like this: “When” / “You Win My Love” / "Come On Over" / "Holding On To Love". This had everyone singing along at one stage or another and permanently marked Shania Twain and her gorgeous smile to Superstar Status. This time, not only the hairs at the back of my neck, but also along my arms, especially during “You Win My Love”. I think it was a mix of a great song, seeing it performed in front of my very eyes, and the fact that the 10,000 people around me

The songs were truly professionally performed and Shania’s rhythm in all the tracks was evident. Eventually the ticket holders for the on-stage photo with Shania for the NSPCC were located and were from Northamptonshire. After a kiss and a cuddle, we listened to a lovely and impressive keyboard instrumental, whilst Shania - all of a sudden…. Shania was seen in the far distance sitting in the audience in one of the very few empty seats and broke into “The Woman In Me”. With just an acoustic guitarist sitting next to her, she really showed off her great voice. I wish the backing vocalists kept quiet and left it to the voice of Shania. The voice managed to calm us all down, but not for long. The drums started, Shania ran promptly back to centre-stage, we were all up on our feet, clapping along and pure mayhem broke out as “That Don’t Impress Me Much” started!

Just when I thought all the great songs were done, there was more! More singing, more dancing, more indoor fireworks! Then…“I’m Gonna Getcha Good” was another ‘G’… Great! The songs kept coming and at one point one of the backing vocalists started singing into someone’s mobile phone, then threw it back to the crowd! It was like one big happy family reunion! Just as I thought it couldn’t get much better than this, another country song, “(If your not in it for love), I’m Outta Here” and more handshakes and high five slaps with her fans during another boot-stomping performance! I didn’t think the British people knew how to rock like the Americans, but Shania surely got them going with this one! But by now it was too late, Shania was outta here, as she slowly sunk down the middle of the centre stage to the sounds of clapping, screaming and whistles.

After a short while, she was back, and the crowd exploded in excitement as she emerged in an England Football top, singing“From This Moment On”. For me, it would have been a dream if Bryan "brown" came out to duet the song with her, as it is on the American CD, “Come On Over”, but that was really too much to expect! Instead, yet again, Shania effortlessly performed this ballad with highly skilled vocals and talent. The emotions kicked in, there were tears in some people’s eyes, and the Goosebumps came back as the crowd finished the last few lines of the song. Right, time to go home. Oh no, not yet! Another one,“dedicated to all you men out there and listen good”, and I realised that this was the one I was waiting for!“Any Man of Mine” erupted into the arena and the crowd loved it! Now this one was definitely a country song and country rocked tonight! I even found myself tapping my feet to this one- that country rhythm is surely in my blood! The only piece of line-dancing was at the end of this track where Shania and her female band member, did a little “shimmy, shake, make the earth quake, kick, turn, stomp stomp!” Shame really, because I’m sure we would have loved to have seen a little more of the country roots. Then we saw a little more as four band members with their fiddles and bow’s all moved simultaneously to the beats of “Rock This Country!”

It all came to a real end as Shania and the centre-stage was showered in fireworks, and in the crowd, we were showered with purple and "brown" pieces of paper which “soaked” us so much, that I am still finding pieces all over my house! The indoor fireworks were amazing, and everyone had a great time and enjoyed one of the best concerts I have ever seen. I managed to speak to some members of the audience after the performance and amongst several compblacknts, there was “I preferred Shania to Robbie and Westlife”. Ken & Joanne had won their tickets from a local radio station in Newcastle and had flown back from their holiday in Spain especially to see Shania! Joanne described the concert as “Brilliant!" Well, that says it all really. What did I think then? Critics say that Shania has turned from her country roots and gone into mainstream pop, others call her music “Country Rock”. I’ve been a moderate fan of Shania Twain from the mid-nineties when she was on CMT’s ‘Top Billing’ and have all her CD releases since then. Yeah, the songs are quite good if you’re in the mood, but this concert put me in that mood and it’s obvious that Shania has simply brought country music to an audience of fans in Britain and the rest of the world, and made them realise that Country music is the most meaningful, fun-loving and enjoyable music there is! So your Shania Twain? That impresses me. Very much!

© Pierre Petrou. Hot n Gold