Jade Thirlwall and Perrie Edwards enjoyed a homecoming to remember on Friday night as they and Little Mix bandmate Leigh-Anne Pinnock wowed a packed crowd in Newcastle with might just have been the group's best show in the city to date.
Near the end of last year, Little Mix fans were left devastated when the now trio announced they’d be taking a break after their new tour, which got going in Belfast last weekend. That had meant the hype around the shows has been huge and the Brit winning group certainly lived up to it with a master class of pop music perfection.
Jade, Perrie and Leigh-Anne made history last year when they became the first female act in Brit Awards history to take him the British Group accolade. And they silenced any critics of their triumph (I’m looking at you Noel Gallagher!) with a concert that fired all on all cylinders and proved exactly why Little Mix have had staying power since their win on The X Factor back in 2011.
READ MORE: Perrie Edwards issues warning to Newcastle as Little Mix arrive
The ladies played a trump card to kick things off at the Utilita Arena on Friday night with the ultimate revenge anthem and slice of power pop Shout Out To My Ex the perfect curtain raiser for what was to come.
Little Mix have a locker full of brilliant songs at their disposal from their decade in the music industry, and more classic cuts swiftly followed, with Heartbreak Anthem, Wings and Break Up Song keeping the captive audience in the palms of their hands.
One thing Little Mix can never be accused of is staying in their comfort zone. Since album one, we’ve seen the group turn their hand to pop, RnB, dance and even a bit of rock and there were two genius mashups on the setlist which epitomized just how much the girls like to take risks. Woman Like Me peppered with En Vogue’s Free Your Mind was an inspired move and Lil Nas X’s Industry helped Salute’s impact to hit even harder.
Little Mix have a back catalogue other pop acts can only dream of. It’s easy to forget just how many hits they’ve had, but the Confetti tour setlist does a good job of reminding you. Move, Reggaeton Lento, No More Sad Songs, Black Magic and Touch are all present and correct, and anyone who’s ever seen the girls live will know THAT note in Secret Love Song never fails to give you chills and Between Us comes close when it comes to the goosebump factor.
As well as probably not getting enough credit for all the terrific tunes they’ve given us over the past 11 years, Little Mix definitely don’t get the recognition they’d deserve for their vocals. Jade, Perrie and Leigh-Anne all got their ‘money moments’ to show off their voices to great aplomb, with a well deserved outing for spine-tinglingly good Get Weird album track Love Me or Leave Me proving to be the perfect springboard for their singing abilities.
There was clear nods to Newcastle throughout the show with an apt change of 'ladies' to 'lasses' in Salute and 'boy' to 'lad' in show closer Sweet Melody, as well as a few emotional moments for Jade and Perrie was they paid tribute to the support they've had from their native North East.
While this is Little Mix's goodbye tour, the Confetti shows also act as a reminder that the group are still very much at the top of the game. They aren't bowing out because the hits have dried up or support for them has waned - the reaction in Newcastle showed there is still infinite amounts of love for them out there and the songs speak for themselves.
The prelude to the Sweet Melody encore was a whistle stop tour over Little Mix's decade in the spotlight and what a 10 years it's been! They have proved all the 'they're just a manufactured talent show act' doubters wrong and should go on their break with their heads held high and a great deal of pride for what they've achieved.
The charts will be a much duller place without Little Mix. Don't leave it too long to come back lasses!
