JLS with their special guest Tinchy Stryder performing their Everybody Say JLS: The Hits Tour at The Motorpoint Arena Nottingham on Monday 23rd October 2023.



Images and Review by Kevin Cooper

JLS raised the roof of the Motorpoint Arena on Monday night with their Everybody Say JLS: The Hits Tour delighting a capacity crowd as they delivered a set list that touched on all of their albums.

Warming up the crowd was London hip hop artist Tinchy Stryder and he did not disappoint. Having risen to prominence in 2008 with his single Strderman, he got everyone dancing with his chart topping singles with their big choruses.

He performed his big hits You’re Not Alone and Spaceship and finished his set with the auto tuned pop thrills of Take Me Back and Shake Me which ensured that the crowd were nicely warmed up.

JLS were one of the most successful exports from the X Factor, coming second in the 2008 series after Alexandra Burke. But after five albums, millions of record sales and several Brit Awards, the group parted ways in 2013 only to reunite for an arena tour in 2021. It is to their credit that they are back on the road and selling out arenas once again.

When they rose from the stage floor in front of a back drop of screens showing a thunder storm that made recent weather look like a mere shower, the screams were deafening. Opening with Eyes Wide Shut from their 2010 album Outta This World, the crowd’s mass sing along started and never stopped.

Despite the passing of years, Oritse Williams, Marvin Humes, JB Gill and Aston Merrygold haven’t changed a bit with their wonderfully cheesy matching dance moves and cheeky charming grins as they delivered a set list that included all of their hits. Their popular single Hottest Girl In The World went down a storm as did Do You Feel What I Feel, whilst comeback singles Day One and Eternal Love took the night to an absolute fever pitch.

I Know What She Likes saw two ecstatic female audience members join them on stage, and during a DJ megamix set, Oritse and JB were found amongst the crowd much to the absolute delight of their fans. She Makes Me Wanna sent the crowd into a finger pointing frenzy before main set closer Beat Again had them going wild.

For the encore Love You More was given an outing, before the song that everyone had been waiting for, Everybody In Love, left their fans clamouring for more with their arms waving in unison.

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