25th November 2007
By Andrew Hendry
The past months have proved pivotal in both Kanye West’s career as well as his personal life. Not only did his 3rd album, ‘Graduation’, reach double platinum status after selling 957,000 copies in its first week alone, but his mother and manager, Donda West, sadly passed away this month, due to ‘complications from cosmetic surgery’. It is the latter which has been the focus of much media attention this week, after it was thought he would have to pull out of his ‘Glow In The Dark Tour’. It was only a week ago that he broke down on stage in Paris while trying to sing ‘Hey Mama’, in which he tells his mother, ‘I just want you to be proud of me’. However, never one to disappoint, West blessed 8,000 Bournemouth fans with his presence, only 5 days after his mother’s funeral – and what a show it was.
The support acts from Common and Consequence, both signed to West’s G.O.O.D Music label, gave a different sight into the hip-hop genre, with Common performing an inspiring set in which he called for fans to hold their fist in the air whilst he rapped about unity and justice.
By the time the lights finally went out, the atmosphere was electric, with the whole venue chanting Kanye’s name. The superstar stepped onto the Windsor Hall stage, which had been transformed into a futuristic landscape, launching straight into ‘Good Morning’, the first song from his latest album. West proudly strolled amongst his vocalists, band and 5 piece violinists that have now become a feature of his live performances. West told his crowd ‘I don’t want to be compared to no hip-hop show. That’s like an insult to me!’
West’s personality on stage was a lot more personal than his previous tours. During ‘Everything I Am’ and ‘I Wonder’, he reflected on his successes and those who weren’t so quick to support him and even disassociated himself from the violence and gun-crime, which has now become such a large part of hip-hop.
West’s stage accompaniments really helped bring his music to life, making hits such as ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ and ‘Touch The Sky’ sound truly epic. Courteous as ever, West made sure to introduce every single member of his band, allowing them to perform brief solos for the crowd.
The rapper managed to hold himself together to perform ‘Hey Mama’, bearing his soul under a single spotlight, while images of angels danced slowly behind him. Throughout the song, the crowd was there for their hero, clapping along to the beat and giving him a long cheer of appreciation when that single light finally died. Afterwards, his band played a cover version of Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believing’, which Kanye dedicated to the memory of his mother.
After a brief interlude, West came bounding back on stage to give an electric performance of his number one single, ‘Stronger’. At the end, he stood centre stage, hand outstretched, yelling, ‘I need you right now!’ – clearly acknowledging his troubles.
From the start, Kanye looked a different man – talented as ever, but something underneath all the superstardom looked uneasy. Perhaps the grabbing hands of his adoring fans are the only thing which can truly heal his pain right now.
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