Britney's Back!
Filed under: Personally Perez > Britney Spears
This is a bullshit-free review!
Britney Spears descended from the sky at the New Orleans Arena on Tuesday night to rightfully reclaim her role as the Princess of Pop. And Perez was lucky enough to be there!
One of the reasons we decided to go to New Orleans was because we weren't sure if Britney would make it without quitting through to the middle of April, when her Circus tour is scheduled to hit Los Angeles. Heck, we weren't even sure she could pull off opening night.
And she did! Quite well. Much better than we had expected!
Here's how it all went down: The Pussycat Dolls went on at 8:00 P.M. sharp and put on an energetic 40-minute set of hits. Robin Antin, the group's founder, told us that they had just one day and only two hours on stage to reconfigure their arena show to be in-the-round, as is the case with Britney's 3-stage circus.
Backstage we ran into K-Fat and Spears' newly rehired assistant, Felicia Culotta. There was no sense of chaos or panic behind the scenes before Britney went on, which surprised us.
There was a pre-show featuring clowns, martial arts and acrobatics, and Britney went on at approximately 9:20 P.M, playing for about an hour and forty minutes.
A video featuring none other than yours truly, Perez, opened the show, and - we are pleased to say - it was very warmly received!
Spears descended from the roof on an apparatus and kicked things off with the appropriately-themed Circus. And she looked great! The outfits were fab and her body was bangin! Her leg muscles are ridic!
Now, let's get our biggest gripe/problem with the show out of the way. Yes, she lipsynchs during the entire concert. There is no live singing. None!. She recorded vocals to "sound like" live, but they were all canned, pre-taped.
However, it's a Britney Spears show. You expect that!
Even though you expect it, though, it would be nice if at least a handful of the almost 20 song set were live. But, that's not gonna happen.
In exchange for the miming, you do get Spears doing what she does best, dancing. And she's got the moves again!
We were a bit underwhelmed by her live TV appearances performing Womanizer. She seemed drugged and lethargic. She'd walk around from point A to point B, just walking - without much (if any) confidence.
Well, we are pleased to say that Britney has her confidence back! And she seemed to be having a great time throughout the whole show. You could tell by the huge grin that appeared on her face throughout the evening.
She didn't say much. In fact, she didn't speak at all to the audience until after the very last song! We do wish she would have said something earlier, but she didn't have to. She spoke through her body and that infectious smile.
When you see Britney smile, you can't help but smile back!
Her only words the whole night were, "Thank you New Orleans, I love u guys. Did y'all have a good time? Thank you so much," which she said after the final encore, Womanizer.
The show is a non-stop, exhilarating assault on the eyes, a visual extravaganza. And there is a LOT that Britney does. To her credit, she pulled it off! She did it!
She danced like she hasn't danced in a very long time. And, one of the best parts of the evening was that Spears seemed to be clear-headed. She did not appear heavily-sedated or lethargic at all. She was on point!
It being the very first show of the tour, you could tell she was wasn't 100% tight with the choreography yet, but she was more than just going through the motions. She was feeling it and into it!
We had never seen a show in-the-round before and it was a thrilling experience. There is no bad seat in the house! And director Jamie King did an exquisite job of filling the space and being inventive.
The show was fun and fresh and dazzling! There were definitely many more "moving pieces" than in Madonna's recent Sticky & Sweet tour, which King also directed.
There were a few missteps on the production-front, a misguided heavy metal segment and some empty space with two background vocalists that could be filled or tightened after Spears sings lipsynchs the ballad Everytime.
But, those moments were definitely very few and far between. If you are a Britney fan - or someone who appreciates a big spectacle - then you will love the show. Jamie did an amazing job of giving the concert a true Circus-like feel, incorporating magic, aerialists, clowns, tons of dancers and lots of razzle dazzle.
The most jaw-dropping moment of the show was when Spears performed Breath On Me accompanied by two aerialists, who turned their bodies into a bed and sent Britney flying into the sky with them! But, not just that, she totally was fearless in the air and did some amazing moves herself in the air!
Other highlights include the super-playful If You Seek Amy - with boys and hammers - and an amped up version of …Baby One More Time, which still kills.
From flying sets, smoke, wind, pyro, this concert has it all. But it's biggest asset is definitely Spears herself.
There is something about Britney that makes her truly special. She has that indescribable "it" factor. People are always rooting for her, even when she was at her lowest lows. We genuinely want to see her succeed! We've seen her grow up in front of our eyes, and we love her - shortcomings and all. She may not be perfect, but that's okay. She's our Britney.
And she's back, bitches!
We can't wait to see the show again in Atlanta and Miami and see it get better and better.
Perez, your faithful and honest critic, over and out!
P.S. We do feel confident now that Britney is going to finish out the tour, so we are uber excited we'll see it in Los Angeles too.
Enjoy the Circus!
[Images via WENN.]
Re: Sensitivity – Re: Long Dong Connery – Re: RedWingsFan – Re: ciccone – Good morning, y'all!
Re: Sensitivity – Re: BBBoricua loves Angels & Demons… – Morning Peeps……….Re: Sensitivity – Hey Salty Sea Rat…Have ya ever been Blowen ashore…….
Lip Syncing is like going to a air guitar concert!
Pretty friggin lame, and a total waste of hard earned cash.
Some people really need their heads checked.
look how pudgy she still looks…. won't see her working for VS… ever. was she always so flabby?? her leg muscles are NOT "ridic"…. get some standards. she's just as fat as jessica simpson or when you were making fun of micha barton… who NEVER looked that bad.
Either you guys are fucking crazy or just plain stupid…..how can anyone in their right mind shell out $100.00 or more for a show where the performer doesn't even sing LIVE??? I don't give a monkeys' fuck how neat the dancing is ,how elaborate the sets are and how gorgeous the costumes are….YOUR'E BEING CHEATED!!!! Anyone who can't perform to a live audience with a LIVE performance has absolutely NO business onstage PERIOD. God I feel sorry for you poor slobs…you don't even know a good hustle when you see one!!
Re: BBBoricua loves Angels & Demons… – Mornin BBB!!!Whats up over there! Just a few of us holding the fort down these days!
She LIP SYNCHS the entire show? What a no natural talent and you suckers are paying to hear that? Yikes…
I can't believe I actually bought a ticket to see this bitch lipsynch, but I don't care. She can't sing but she's one hell of a performer. The show seems so exciting!! Glad you had a great time, P!
that she lip-synchs the whole thing kinda bothers me.
i cant wait till tickets coem out in melbourne ill be first in line fo sho! she has never come to melbourne before so i am psyched! i believe brits will sing live when she gets better with her show and she does write her own muic fools!!! EVERYTIME and my baby were both written by her! like every artist they always have assistance with the writing. and i am sure there r more.
Her outfits are FIERCE! I kinda want to go to a show now! Too bad im poor… LOL
go brit!
im genuinly so happy for her that shes out performing again with a smile on her face
she looks amazing on the vids, it looks like an awesome show!
Re: Sensitivity – I know! Where did everybody go?
We'll just keep the party going until they all come back.
I would not pay $$ to see someone lipsync!
omg she's back?! lip synching and all??
gimme a break seriously.
frankly, after looking at the tapes, it's becoming so clear that she is simply no longer relevant. at all. she's as useful as a videotape casette rewinder. she's old, streatched out, can't sing well… doesn't sing at ALL…. just takes people's money and puts on some half assed spectacle worthy of a 2nd grade dance recital complete with sequins and lights. this is why other countries hate america… we epitomize mediocrity. get an IQ, people. learn what real music is. uncultured fucks.
I want to like Shitney, I really do. But I can't. Any "artist" who lipsynchs the ENTIRE show is no artist at all. Why is she even wearing the fake microphone? She may as well take it off since everyone knows she's faking it. She also looks fat. Time to retire…like Hagdonna.
Did you idiots hear what fatso said. She is LYP Synching. No live singing. Wow what a losesr this Bitch is. How can anyone pay to see this mess
Re: Sensitivity – Re: BBBoricua loves Angels & Demons… – Hello!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mario why does BritBRit have on the Mcdonalds Headset/microphone if shes lip synching?
She looks great. I can remember a time where those outfits wouldn't have been bodysuits and corsets, but it's been 2 kids since then and as long as she's back on track it's good for her.
So in otherwords, she had to rely on tired overdone dancing, stupid, slutty costumes, and theatrical garbage to distract from the fact that she CANNOT FUCKING SING!!!??
WOW, what a shocker. I can outsing that bitch any damn day.
if shitney's ass is any indication, the fast food industry is doing well in this troubled economy. they can afford to lend out equipment to struggling street performers on a budget….
faithful and honest critic? stop! please stop! can't stop laughing! ……… anyhoo…… isn't britney… uhm … a singer? and while yes, she is known for dancing too, it is the singing that makes the money? Now, I understand that you lose your breath dancing and you can't be all over the stage dancing and singing a song at the same time-fine. BUT TO LIP SYNCH THE WHOLE CONCERT IS BULLSHIT. well, I guess she won't have to worry about losing her voice in a few years, unless it is from under use. If this is true, why can't she sing the end song, the beginnig song live? just a few years ago, singers were called out for lip synching ANY of their songs in a concert. Madonna was called out a lot. concert goers used to feel ripped off if a 'singer' re recorded and lipped instead of a live performance-isn't that what everyone is paying to see? Otherwise, can't you wait until it comes out on dvd and pay alot less?
"lipsynchs the entire concert" That's complete crap. Who cares what else is going on, visually or otherwise. A concert is supposed to be 'all-inclusive', sight and sound. I can't believe that people would pay those ticket prices to go see, what is in effect, a karaoke singer. Facts are facts; Britney spears is a wash-up, has-been singer. And if she's not gonna sing live, she should just hang out a the local karaoke bar. But wait, that would mean she'd have to sing. Oh well, so much for that idea.
ANd lipsyncing??!!!! WTF???? She is a JOKE!
She looks like a low budget stripper.
oh, and some of those 'costumes' are downright ugly and should be changed considering that britney always has young girls as fans. and I am really surprised that perez is in the opening video-that must scare the hell out of preteen girls. like how he says it was warmly received. 'WARMLY?" at a concert? warmly at a concert sounds like girl scouts performing at a senior citizen home, not 15,000 20 year olds at a britney concert. hey, perez, scope out alot of young guys there with their girl friends?
I've been to over 500 concerts in my lifetime. I'd never pay $250+ to see someone who didn't actually sing or play any instruments. It's the new album Circus by Pro-Tools! If you wanna pay that kind of money to see a "show" or a "peformance", to see someone dance, okay, but it's not music. It's more like, well, the circus. And that's what Britney is, a Circus Freakshow who can't sing anymore, that monopolist pigs are trying to milk every penny out of because people like Perez just can't quit her. People are weird!
Re: BBBoricua loves Angels & Demons… – sounds good!!
Sorry papi, but as much as I like Britney, she's not all THAT fit… maybe you can't see it in these pics, but open those videos posted here and pay attention. Glad she's back regardless.
Looks shiteous. Perez, you have no integrity at alll.
Re: RedWingsFan – good point!!
MARIO WAKE UP AND GET THAT DICK OUTA YOUR ASS!!
Re: ciccone –
"How she is such a superstar over the real artists out there amazes me."
*
The same could be said about Madonna. I've been saying that about her for 25 years. BTW, it's funny how your English goes from good to bad between posts. Multiple personalities?
Fools and there Money are soon Parted…
Where are my Florida sunshines!?
Mario Wake up, you FATBASTARD………..N E X T !!!!!!!!!!!
She's back bitches!!!!!!! YESSSSSSS!!!
Re: Sensitivity – Hanging between my legs!!!!!!!!
)
ATL HERE SHE COMES!!!
Can't wait ’til the show tomorrow!
OMG WE WERE THERE LAST NIGHT….WE DROVE ALL THE WAY FROM LININGSTON PARISH. PEREZ IS A LIARRRRRRRRRRRRR…BRITNEY WAS JUST AS AWFUL AS THE MTV AWARDS…ONLY THIS TIME SHE HAD THOUSANDS OF DIFFERENT THINGS TO STIMULATE OUR SENCES AT THIS 'CIRCUS' TOUR. SHE TRUELY HAS LOST IT…AND IT LOOKED LIKE SHE JUST DIDNT WANNA BE THERE….AGAIN. SO SAD CUZ WE TOOK ALL THE KIDS AND I SUPPOSE FOR THEM IT WAS OKAY, BUT TO SOMEONE WHO KNEW BRITNEY AND MUSIC…..IT WAS A MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT. SO PEREZ PLEASE STOP BEING SUCH A LIAR ALL BECAUSE UR ON A VIDEO ON HER TOUR. SHE SUCKS. SHE NEEDS TO JUST GET ON WITH HER PRIVATE LIFE
ufhghhg i wanna go so bad!
looooooooooveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh britney
………
Re: DALE – You are so right…Perez can't be too critical because she'll axe his "filmed" intro from the set list. She should bill the event as a dancing extravaganza with canned vocals instead of a tour. I give her a little credit for being honest about not singing live, but it truly shows the vocal limitations she's had all along. Sad.
idc if she lipsyncs the important thing is the show!
I'm SO proud of her!!! I knew she could do it! Can't wait to see it when she comes to the East Coast!!
WE DROVE FROM LAFAYETTE LAST NIGHT TO GO TO THE SHOW…..PEREZ IS A LIAR…BRITNEY WAS AWFUL AND LOOKED LIKE SHE JUST DIDNT WANT TO BE THERE…THE WHOLE TIME. WE COULDNT BELIEVE WE SHELLED OUT MORE THAN 400 DOLLARS FOR THIS. BRITNEY NO LONGER 'HAS IT' AND THEY REALLY NEED TO STOP USING THE PUBLIC AND HER FANS TO TRY AND PORTRAY THAT SHE STILL DOES HAVE IT. THEY USE TONS OF EFFECTS AND DIFFERENT THINGS TO KEEP UR MIND OFF BRITNEY. PEREZ PLEASE STOP LYING. BRITNEY IS OFFICIALY DONE. I BELIEVE SHE WAS SOOOO BAD THAT THIS TOUR WONT FINISH.
So let me get this straight…in order to get a good review the artist has to 1) put you in the show somehow 2) pay you to write a good piece on them 3) kiss you ass and let you backstage even though they hate your guts. WOW, talk about FAMEWHORING!! You are the KING of that for sure!!!
You go girl!!! Keep this up and you will see how far you are going!!! Wow what a difference…greattttttttttttt!!!
im sorry but if im paying to see her live i want to see her sing live. period.
now i don't feel bad that i dont have tickets.
Sounds geat, but it looks like she's got Madonna's old clothes and her old tour directo. Lip-synch on, girl.
It's really sad that lip synching is so acceptable now, as long as there is a SHOW. Yeah, that makes up for it! It's too bad people don't support real artists who actually sing live. (as they should! it is a CONCERT!) Come on everyone….wish her well, but raise your standards a little.
i heard that she sucked. stiff dance moves, nervous, a lot of strutting (boring!) and lip synching, that's just wrong! i love Britney but i think her time has passed.
britney is a fat madonna wannabe
Okay, I do not believe this to be perez writing this..it is too cohesive and
the sentences are strung together in an almost intelligent way. Also, the words
used are just not perez-ish..and I detect an almost british quality to some of them..
"miming" for instance is how we say "lip synch" here in the u.k. ..besides all that.
her leg muscles are ridic..not in these photos sunshine.
and now let us leave britney to her smoking..something perez usually bitches about in others. I guess there is big money in brown nosing.
ah well. I am liking the funny "the superficial" blog better these days.
Great for her she is back… But ill bet she is not thats great like pink.. she had a trapese act and she was 100% live and her voice was pure and clear…. No playback show…… To bad brit don't even try to sing live.
Wow, wow, wow!! Thank you for the thorough review Perez. I'm a big fan of Britney and I got chills when I read this article…just to know she pulled it off last night is such a fresh breath of air. I'm so proud of Britney for how far she's come from just one year ago. I'm soooo glad she's back to doing what she loves to do. Can't wait to see her in Houston! now I'm really confident she won't drop out of the tour before then!!
wow to do a whole show LS, so sad. I would be pissed, that's the point isnt' it?
Fat Mario your opinion doesn't count because you're on the payroll just like "K-Fat" There's a conflict of interest. You saw him backstage. So were you two back there eating up all the hot wings? As far as Britney lip syncing, she is one singer who you don't want to hear singing live… it would be a total disaster.
i love britney
i wish i could go to her concert!!!!xoxoxo
all i wanted to know is if she lip synced….and of course she did. i wont be spending 150 bucks to see that shit.
"But, not just that, she totally was fearless in the air and did some amazing moves herself in the air!" Perez, you are not a good writer. That review was terrible. Ignoring the fact that is was not unbiased as you so claim, the writing was just horrid. You used the phrase "in the air" twice in one sentence. It sounds horrible. "She'd walk around from point A to point B, just walking - without much (if any) confidence." Really? That's the best sentence you could come up with? You just threw in a few criticisms here and there to make it look like you were unbiased but they were weak at best. It was completely obvious that you were trying to appear unbiased. But the real kicker was this, "People are always rooting for her, even when she was at her lowest lows. We genuinely want to see her succeed!" NO, you didn't want to see her succeed until you got paid for it! You were telling everyone that she was going to kill herself. How dare you even claim that you were rooting for her and wanted to see her get better because you didn't. Someday karma is going to come back and bite you in the ass, hard. And no one is going to be surprised.
I can't wait for the show tomorrow in Atlanta! section 122!
i'm sure it was a good show but those outfits are fucking horrible!!! I'm refering to the ones that have the boob tassles and the boob swirly things. They look like shit on her. There is a difference between sexy and white trash whore and those outfits are definately whore.
I wouldnt go see her if it was free at Walmart parking lot!! Who the hell wants to go hear canned music???? That makes me laugh…She a DANCER..not a MUSICIAN> Her outfits are so OLD already!! Madonna wanna be.
The concert was AWESOME!!Great review Perez.At least you did a good one this time. Ur opening video was amazing as well. SHE'S BACK BITCHES!! THE PRINCESS OF POP!! If you don't like it……then f*&% off!!
I'm so happy for her! I'm happy she's found her groove again! The girl deserves the success! I'd LOVE to have a chance to see this show.
Re: hank schmank –
Because when someone goes to a concert the point is to hear live musical talent. If I wanted to hear pre-recorded stuff, I could just pop in the cd. I don't care if she dances around stage in 10 different costumes while men and woman grope her from behind. Is dancing a talent worth paying 150 bucks a ticket for? Not in my opinion. And why even call it a concert. It should be called a dance recital.
Google away for the REAL reviews of the "concert". They are scathing. Sucks for you poor slobs who shelled out $100+ for this sh*t. I still don't understand why Shitney would even put Perez in the opening segment. I guess two people with no talent equals SOME talent? Nope.
I'm sorry guys but I don't care how much she dances and makes spectacular shows…she is so uninteresting and unoriginal. She pays people big money to create these images of her that make so much money. She is a perpetual child. I mean, she worked this hard doing the Mickey Mouse club. I'm interested to see her @ Madonna's age…she'll probably be in the same position: Divorced, alone, filthy rich. Grown children and more coming…But still working on her music!
Lipsinking the entire show? This is a performance, not a concert. Since when is lipsinking ok on any level?
Those costumes make her look fat.
What is the point of paying money to go see a live show that is completely lipsynched? That is just so lazy. And people call it a concert? And although she may have took it a step further that whole circus idea is a complete rip-off of Motley Crue's Carnival Of Sins tour.
they know they can milk the loyal ones. i'm not a great singer, but when i sing in public, it's me, not a recording. there are so many up and coming bands out there, with musicians that sing and play live and they are great–go check out indie bands across the world!
I wouldn't classify her body as being "bangin'".
One Word - Milli Vanilli
Dude, get off the payroll. Your objectivity was gone the moment you decided to be part of the show.
Good for you Brit!! Welcome back!!
You're lucky Perez
I love my Britney!!!!!
omg so excited! seweing her in toronto canada in exactly 14 days
Re: SparklesATL – hahaha Milli Vanilli, poor guys
Britney's back with lyp sinc. Only a very simple minded people could care for this talentless by-polar mental case. And I hear that there are a lot of simple minded people in America.
cant wait cant wait! Love ya brit!
Congrats to Britney ! Those costumes are painfully unflattering . . .
hey! Does anyone know if this tour will be available on DVD after its finished touring? I've never bought a filmed tour show before, but I would LOVE to see this one since I can't afford to go to the actual concert =(
WAKE ME WHEN SHE STOPS LIP SYNCHING.
.
.
.
Either she can sing or she can't. If she can't sing live, she shouldn't do live shows.
I LOVE YOU BRIT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING AMAZING
Glad for her children's sake that she got her act together. HOWEVER, she still is and always was a no-talent product of brilliant marketing and over-production. Pretty blondes who can dance are a dime a dozen.
THREE REASONS WHY THIS IS NOT A BIG DEAL:
1. She looks terrible… her body looks the same as it did last year. Can't she even get a personal trainer?
2. Those costumes are unflattering and ugly. Can't she afford a good costume designer?
3. She can't sing, and lip synched the entire performance. Can't she afford a vocal coach.
Shitney Spears= FAIL
YOU WERE SO FAR UP HER ASS WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US WHAT SHE HAD FOR LUNCH?
Britney is popular because of her past, because she is pretty, and she can shake her groove thang. But, the poor girl cannot sing without help from better backup singers…and fake music to drown out her off-key voice. She puts on a stage show. Thats it. If she just stood up there, you think people would pay to see that?? She uses the 'circus' acts to distract anyone from what is really going on! She is a faker!
Re: eatmejerkwad – I'm pretty sure she had a porkroll egg and cheese, potato chips, a big mac, and one of the crew's legs.
she so creepy good
WHY THE HELL WOULD ANYONE PAY TO SEE SOMEONE LIP SYNC????
I never was a Britney fan; I just don't get why she is so famous, she only has an ok singing voice. The thing she had going for her was her body i guess, that's still not at her toned best. She still looks out of shape for a performer. If she was just the girl on the street it would be ok. Anywho, i'm glad she's taking her meds.
i was so excited that i was in attendance to the opening night of her tour! i think new orleans will help her get energized to be able to finish up the whole thing…getting that hometown love from everybody who's been behind her 100% is just what she needed.
i absolutely loved this concert. although, it was technically a performance. yea she lipsynched, we ALL knew that when we bought the tickets. but we all expected greatness or failure, either way it was something big.
britney blew me away with her dancing. she is back!! the only complaint i had was one that you mentioned, she only talked to us once!! we're her frickin hometown! we've supported her! maybe she needed time in between songs to take a breather….she was working it during every single song.
the videos in between were so amazing, but perez's rocked it! it actually almost scared me you were so believable!
Yeah , I saw It perez, it sucked she doesnt even dance she just moves and lip syncing but i could understand that because she's moving so much all effort I give her a D +
enough with the britney stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!