27 December 2010 (gig)
28 December 2010
Wirral X Factor fans were treated to a showcase of talent at Birkenhead's Pacific Road venue last night as former contestants Cher Lloyd and Wagner performed to a young crowd as part of a Pop Factory Live show.
Already blighted by the absense of the originally advertised Mary Byrne, organisers were forced to pull the matinee performance earlier in the day citing 'TV Commitments' as the reason for the cancellation. This meant however, that ticket holders for both shows were put together in one which added to the atmosphere and brought in a mixture of adults, teens & children.
A selection of local acts warmed up for the big event with former X-Factor bootcamper Ramena Farahi performing alongside Hayley Murray, Jessica Rafferty and Alexandra Johnstone. This line up was completed by The Jackson 5 show who in the words of Simon Cowell would 'make great wedding singers'. Like every other act they were singing to backing tracks, but I found it difficult to watch 'Jermaine' miming his basslines on a lead guitar. Anyway instrumental detail aside, the crowd lapped up the classic motown hits and the boys returned to play an encore.
With Mary Byrne pulling out this left a space for the next in the eviction list who this year was Wagner, the controversial and Marmite figure of X-Factor 2010. The bongos appeared on stage and offered an insight of what was about to happen. Tonight's comperes said that Wagner's opener would be something unexpected and so it was when he burst into opera classic 'O sole mio'. What followed was some extraordinary dancing and covers of The Rolling Stones 'Jumping Jack Flash' and Dylan/Adele 'Make You Feel My Love'. The vocals as expected were not great but entertainment value was 100% and he won most of the audience over by the end.
And so to the main attraction Malvern's Cher Lloyd who finished fourth in this year's X-Factor competition. It was clear to see from the crowd reaction that Cher was the act everyone had come to see. Playing a relatively short set she owned the stage singing a selection of mash ups she made famous every saturday evening including 'no diggerty/shout', 'get your freak on/the clapping song' and her audition song 'Turn my swag on'. Saving the best until last she rapped her way through a clever mix of Will Smith's 'Boom! Shake the Room' and Willow Smith's 'Whip My Hair'
Overall a good nights entertainment and judging on tonights performances Cher is going places and they are different ones to Wagner. It's worth mentioning thought that the Brazilian stayed to speak to everyone who held back after the show, signing autographs and taking pictures. Gent
