Apple Music Festival Michael Bublé at the Roundhouse

When the only black people at a musical concert are in the security staff, you get an idea of what sort of music you’re getting into. This is Michael Bublé after all: traditionally astute, crooning vocals and a charming, boyish presence. The question is: does he deliver? Simply put, yes he does.

Arriving on stage with great panache and charisma, it didn’t take long for Bublé to establish a performative rapport with his adoring fans and get into his swooning tracks. While Michael explained he never usually got nervous before shows, this was an exception. Well, he had to say that because his vocals didn’t display a trace of nerve or doubt, they were confident, sweet and mellifluous. Like a reincarnated member of the Rat Pack, the suited talent smoothly paced through audience favourites, a couple of covers and some new tracks. Haven’t Met You Yet and Cry Me a River naturally featured prominent sing-alongs, but it was his early cover performance of Me and Mrs Jones and its powerful backing vocals that stood out in the mind on the tube home.

Naturally for such an accomplished performer, Bublé was full of amusing anecdotes and “intimate moments” between his tracks, discussing Van Morrison’s unimpressed greeting during their collaboration and how his first thought when thinking of the UK is “tramps.” Naturally hostile in response, Bublé clarified to the audience with a playful wink that he was referring to Charlie Chaplin. It was at this point that he did a poignant and beautiful cover of Smile, written by Chaplin for his classic film Modern Times.

But as admirable as this, the presentation (minus the support) was particularly short-lived – just around the hour. The show was somewhat methodic. A consummate professional no doubt, this also meant Bublé’s work did have a whiff of routine that gutted the songs of their emotive potential. While live performance can provide an added oomph and dynamic to familiar tracks, these were in fact scarcely unique from their recorded versions. But cry me a river, because Bublé delivers a pretty faultless show, and for that one cannot complain too harshly. Short and sweet.

David Hughes
Photos: Apple Music Festival 10, London 2016

For further information about Michael Bublé and future events visit here.

Apple Music Festival 2016 is on at the Roundhouse until 30^th September 2016, for further information visit here.