Brittney Spears at the Wembley Arena by Matt Rigodanzo

I cannot say that I’m the biggest fan of Brittney Spears.  In fact, I’m not confident I can name a single song that she’s done in the last 5 years (although I think I could recognize a few if I heard them).  Needless to say, when I was informed by a rather ecstatic girlfriend that she had tickets for us to see Brittney Spears, I wasn’t all that thrilled about the whole situation. 

But relationships are a give and take, so I decided to bite the bullet, and a week later I found myself at the Wembley Arena with my senses being assaulted by loud noises and flashing lights.  The differences between this concert and the more low-key events that I’ve become accustomed to at California venues were astounding although not surprising.  This concert wasn’t about the music, but rather about the spectacle and the celebrity persona that is Brittney Spears.  There were some subtle opening acts to begin the night, but as soon as Brittney took the stage, the whole vibe of the auditorium changed.  Flashing lights, video installations, lasers, outlandish costumes, and backup dancers were used throughout, creating an assault on eyes and ears.  The entire scene wasn’t really my cup of tea, and even with a few beers I wasn’t able to truly enjoy myself and get lost in the experience.

Furthermore, the performance by Brittney herself was fairly lackluster.  It’s hard to believe that she is only 29, because she is a far cry from the performer that I remember from all her old music videos.  As her backup dancers made elaborate gestures, she barely moved.  The director and choreographers were certainly keenly aware of their stars mobility issues, so they often had immobile set pieces, such as a cage or swing.  These either failed to garner excitement or simply highlighted Brittney’s awkwardness.

However, the whole experience wasn’t a drag.  There were certain songs sung that struck a nostalgic chord for me, such as her hit Toxic, which originally came out when I was 11 or 12.  I was able to enjoy the ridiculousness of the situation in these moments, singing along to these tunes that have been drilled into my psyche over the years.  Brittney certainly has some hits that have been played in so many moments throughout my life that they naturally garner a positive, fun-loving response, however this doesn’t speak volumes for her performance at the Wembley Arena.

In conclusion, I went into the concert with fairly low expectations, and these expectations were pretty much met.  Maybe it was this initial negativity that disallowed me from enjoying the theatrical event, but there’s no denying that Brittney Spears has fallen from her performing prime.  The reliance on technical elements such as lights, lasers, and jumbotrons instead of the star’s performance made this fact crystal clear.  The final point is that the tickets were severely discounted and the arena was still far from full, really solidifying in my mind that Brittney is no longer the pop-culture icon she once was, and it really showed at this lackluster event.