X Factor Live Tour 2014 at the O2 Dublin, 17th February 2014

As the O2 fills up for the X Factor Tour, videos of past X Factor contestants are being shown to the growing audience. The likes of James Arthur, Little Mix, and of course, One Direction are getting the crowd excited as there is the sense that someone performing tonight could follow in their footsteps. However, there is also the pessimism of realising that there are eight acts tonight, and the success stories can basically be counted with one hand. All of tonight’s show is done in true X Factor style; from the beginning where there is the same opening as there is to the show on TV, to the numerous overly emotional montages of the series and each of the acts ‘journey’ before their performances.

Tamera Foster begins the show proving that she really does have an incredible voice, it is shown more later on in the night when she sings I Have Nothing by Whitney Houston, these songs show how powerful her voice is. Whereas when she does the upbeat, club-like songs, she sounds relatively unimpressive and unoriginal.

Then one of the more controversial characters of show, Sam Callahan, comes to the stage. Callahan was accused of being in the show for the wrong reasons, because he was seen as a bit of a heartthrob rather than having remarkable vocal abilities. In fairness, his interpretation of Bryan Adam’s Summer Of 69 actually isn’t that bad. His vocals are decent, they seem to have improved since the show, and he works the stage quite well. He seems to be one of the more comfortable on stage, although at times his vocals embody the mediocrity that infiltrates these televised talent shows.

Hannah Barrett  has a super powerful, raspy voice that is truly beautiful to hear. She is one of the most enjoyable acts to watch, because not only is she very talented, she also lets a bit of her personality shine through. She has a bit of banter with the crowd and is laughing, she looks like she is having fun on stage and is not over-thinking the performance, which really makes her stand out. Whereas Abi Alton who seems to be loved by the crowd as they are already screaming for her before she even starts singing, is not as comfortable on stage, when she is given the freedom to walk around on stage she looks awkward and nervous; this is particularly noticeable during the group performances, when she fades to the background slightly. It’s just her and a piano for one song, it’s nice to see someone playing an instrument and show some musical understanding other than just being able to sing. Her voice is a bit of an acquired taste, the nasal sound of it could turn some people off, and at times it is not much more than average but the crowd seem to love her.

Sam Bailey proves exactly why she won the show this year. Her voice is really impressive, and leaves the crowd in awe at times. There is very little to say about her performances, they were all wonderfully enjoyable, and highlight the positive aspects of the show as this woman has really been given the opportunity she deserved.

The strange thing about tonight is that it doesn’t really feel like a concert, it still feels a bit like a talent show. All of the acts perform well, but it’s all a bit too staged, a bit too choreographed. It’s like the performers have all been taught textbook ‘stage presence’ and it doesn’t feel very authentic. Whether you think that the X Factor is ruining the music industry, is helping to find new talent or it’s just a bit of harmless entertainment, tonight the acts prove that they all have quite impressive vocal abilities (some more than others), but the extent to which they can be called ‘artists’ is hugely brought into question.