Hurts in Concert

      

       Hurts - not 'the' Hurts - is a synth/electro pop duo originating from Manchester, England. They have been steadily gaining more and more success, specifically in the United Kingdom, as top celebrities like Kylie Minogue, Arthur Baker, Leona Lewis have collaborated and remixed their songs. Upon going to see them, I did not know a lot about them, although I had heard their CD a couple times through as it played in the background while making dinner with Jordan, Alli and Matt. 

        The concert was held that the 02 Shepherd's Bush Empire in Hammersmith and Fulham. The night began with a tube ride and a walk along a park to get to the venue. Outside we were in the ticket line when a reporter comes up to our group and asks if we would like to say why we like Hurts and what we were looking forward too about the night's performance. We elected Jordan to speak who eloquently explained the strong points of Hurts and their place within the musical genre of pop. It was a perfect experience to precede the night ahead. 

         The venue itself was great. It was a theater set up, and we were on the first floor balconies. This was a great space to view the show from, because we were able to see the backdrop very clearly from the higher vantage point. Elegant and simple, the set consited of five white pieces of flowing cloth that covered rectangular frames. With mostly white, but sometimes blue, red or multi-colored lights, each column was illuminated in sync with the music creating a visual representation of the music across the stage. This was my favorite part about the show, because the lighting and the singers were so in tune with each other that the entire sensory experience was enhanced. 

        With the light show, the booming acoustics of Theo's classic voice, and the show culminating in glitter being down poured from the ceiling the theatrics of Hurts performance was truly spectacular. I highly recommend going to a show, whether you are their number one fan or have never even heard of them, they are sure to impress. 

Allie Kelleher

UC Santa Barbara