Planet Earth II Live in Concert finally arrived in Leeds after its two years postponement and the wait was definitely worthwhile, with the show taking concert goers deep in the Malagasy jungles to Africa' most unforgiving desert.
For a series that takes four years to film, the surplus of footage from the TV show is not surprising but I, like many, would happily have watched it all. Planet Earth II Live in Concert allows you to glimpse that extra footage, to hear the behind-the-scenes tales and to fall into the rain-forests, jungles and deserts of our world in an entirely different way. From Danakil Desert's lions to the Galapagos Island's marine iguanas, I never knew I could become so invested in a reptile's fight for survival or a giraffe's race for freedom and it's fair to say, I, along with the rest of the audience, was transported all around the globe, feeling far away from the Leeds First Direct Arena.
A reason for this complete immersion had to be the outstanding philharmonic orchestra creating the spine-tingling music that put you there with the sloth desperate to answer a female's mating calls. Music by Hans Zimmer, Jacob Shea & Jasha Klebe was impressive enough coming through our TV screens but in concert, it was spellbinding.
