REVIEW: You may remember Fridayz Live, formerly known as Friday Jams Live, for its string of irresistible anecdotes over the years: drunken debauchery, a mass walkout during a Janet Jackson set, and overcrowding overseas.
There’s also the cancellations – like T-Pain in 2018, or Craig David and TLC in 2022 – and this year saw Australian influencer Abbie Chatfield pull out from her co-hosting duties alongside Fatman Scoop last month due to an “an active lawsuit involving the headline act.”
As it so happens, headliner Jason Derulo is currently involved in a sexual harassment lawsuit with singer Emaza Gibson, who accused Derulo of signing her to his record label with the expectation of sexual favours.
The story of Fridayz Live (yes, that ‘z’ is purposeful) writes itself.
This year, the event returned to its roots at Auckland’s Spark Arena after a few years under the sun at the Western Springs – perhaps because it’s an easier to manage space, but as they say, you can take the boy out of the country …
And why hold a music festival titled Fridayz Live on a Thursday? Because this event also tours through Australia, and the best dates were secured for them.
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[File photo] Headliner Jason Derulo is currently involved in a sexual harassment lawsuit with singer Emaza Gibson, who accused Derulo of signing her to his record label with the expectation of sexual favours.
Or, you could look at the bright side of things: it’s an early head start on the weekend bender.
Opener Travie McCoy entered the stage around 5pm, performing Cupid’s Chokehold to a stadium filled only a third of the way full, and a third of the way energised.
By his second song, Billionaire, McCoy had captured the crowd’s attention. It’s an incredible career arc to have made a string of hits in the late noughties and be able to ride off that success for so long it takes you to a late evening performance spot in Aotearoa in 2023.
Jojo, bringing bangers Baby It’s You, Leave (Get Out), and Too Little, Too Late, had the crowd in perpetual awe as she proved her vocal and performance skills were as strong as ever.
RnB group 112 brought a great performance that lacked engagement from the audience, until they performed their final song I’ll Be Missing You – a staple of many a garage party in West Auckland – which the crowd knew all the words to.
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[File photo] The event has returned to its roots at Auckland’s Spark Arena after a few years under the sun at the Western Springs – perhaps because it’s an easier to manage space, but as they say, you can take the boy out of the country …
In the lulls between performers, punters are kept entertained by DJs Yo! Mafia and Havana Brown, a very random game of ‘Guess That TV Tune’ in which two women were pulled from the crowd and couldn’t answer any questions (they still won a meet and greet with Derulo, though), and Naughty by Nature were there to count down the top 25 hip-hop songs as the genre celebrates its 50th birthday.
Needless to say, there was a lot going on, and if you didn’t want to stay in your seat during the break, you had to contend with lines to the bar, bathroom, food, and water stations.
One concertgoer who had braved the bar queue in the break told me she came back to find her seats covered in a stranger’s vomit. Elsewhere, drunken women flirted with security guards, boys lost their shirts, shoes risked soaking up spilt alcohol, and a suspicious herbal scent wafted in certain parts of the venue.
Kelly Rowland took the stage in a double-denim look that matched her dancers to sing Dilemma, before delivering an incredible medley of Destiny’s Child hits, including Bootylicious, Soldier, Independent Women Part I, Jumpin’, Jumpin’, Say My Name, Girl, and Cater 2 U.
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Kelly Rowland took the stage in a double-denim look that matched her dancers to sing Dilemma, before delivering an incredible medley of Destiny’s Child hits.
As emcee Fatman Scoop promised, Rowland’s performance was “RnB for the ladies”: she may have been the only Destiny’s Child on that stage, but the very female-strong audience acted as her Beyoncé and Michelle.
Okay, the women loved it, but what about the men? Well, the male reviewer sitting next to me had only a few simple notes: “sexy” and “nice boobs”.
Bringing it back for the dudes, Boyz II Men arrived to a chorus of screams, which didn’t let up throughout their entire performance.
As they sang I’ll Make Love To You, the boys (now men) threw roses to a fighting crowd. Yes, it’s corny, but aren’t we all at the same throwback RnB gig anyway?
Onto something completely different, Flo Rida turned the arena into a regular night at Bar 101 with club banger after club banger – the emotional whiplash was a lot, but it worked, the arena shaking with movement and noise.
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[File photo] Onto something completely different, Flo Rida turned the arena into a regular night at Bar 101 with club banger after club banger.
He took shots of Patrón, brought girls onstage to obey the laws of Low and drop their butts to the floor, brought boys onstage who didn’t do any butt shaking, and was whisked around the venue on the shoulders of a security guard for five-highs.
Flo Rida’s charisma was undeniable and his energy contagious, so much so that when he threw his sneakers to the crowd, punters fought over it, and one lucky winner gave her boyfriend a big pash in celebration of now owning the rapper’s used shoe.
By the time Derulo took the stage just before 10pm, it seemed the party vibe was falling flat.
Performing Whatcha Say and Ridin’ Solo got cheers from the crowd, as well as his emotional rendition of Savage Love – which is when the crowd began to disperse a bit, because we can’t all take sick leave for our hangovers tomorrow.
Ending with Want You To Want Me, Derulo sent the crowd off into the late Auckland night in drunken stumbles, some now headed to the after party on Karangahape Road.
I guess it’s officially the weekend – Monday never seemed so far away.
