The Latest Maxwell News

sheri October 31st, 2009 at 9:27 pm

OMG I just got back from seeing Maxwell for the first time. It was such a simple show no supporting acts just the man himself.

I have seen many a show but have never been engrossed in a performance as I was tonight. Such a great performer, had the women and men swaying in their seats, drawing them into his world.

I am seriously considering getting a ticket for the added date if it hasn’s sold out already. I definite must see!

Bee November 1st, 2009 at 5:22 pm

Oh My My My. Couldn’t sleep last night he is now my toyboy! liked him, was not a great fan B4. But last nights performance Wooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!! Got me hooked good and proper, could not keep my eyes off him.

Maxwell is a natural talent it just flows effortlessly. The BEST.

Melaniya November 2nd, 2009 at 4:28 am

I meant to say, it was ‘funny when he did his cockney British accent’ – excuse moi!

max November 3rd, 2009 at 9:23 am

He Forgot to Sing Stop the world

Now I am quietly waiting for
the catastrophe of my personality
to seem beautiful again,
and interesting, and modern.

The country is grey and
brown and white in trees,
snows and skies of laughter
always diminishing, less funny
not just darker, not just grey.

It may be the coldest day of
the year, what does he think of
that? I mean, what do I? And if I do,
perhaps I am myself again.

A balmy London Night christened with the early intimations of winter – graced the cosmopolitan music lovers to what is west London’s Hammersmith Apollo. After a ten year hiatus, Maxwell graced an appreciative London with his BLACK Summers Night tour. It is said that Maxwell considers London a second home; a place which places high value on soul of a different persuasion; soul which is invested with radical and political depth; soul which speaks for the people rather than capitalism. It is here Maxwell last came in 1998 to which he was crowned an early coloniser of neo soul. It is tonight his disciples have gathered to listen to the man’s incantations on love, life and redemption.

Tonight the arena is filled with vast majority of worshiping females, who cover a range of different ages. Each brings their partner or a group of other women- but all idly chat whilst waiting for the man to illuminate and brighten their world. The suspense and anticipation climbed during an hour and half intermission before he took to the stage; each second, each minute, each hour splayed by the collective consciences willing the future its arrival before it did.

Finally at 9:10, the lights darkened, the curtains drew and the band began to play- and my-o-my can they play. Like all musicians who are technically competent and comfortable with one another they eschewed an exactness that breeds pure joy for the listener. It is the crispness, the sharpness that envelopes the theatre and the mind-transporting the mind to an aural landscape, taking the audience to near jubilation. The synthesis of funk, African hi-life and soul/rock gives the instrumentation a body and volume one can only describe as mesmerising – it is this preface that introduces us to Maxwell- it is this preface which allows the man to appear.

And so Maxwell appears, and I begin to understand the phenomena that is “Maxwell”. He is physically what might be described as an Adonis, a titan of masculine beauty – all symmetry and isosceles angles. His entrance is welcomed with pandemonium, typical of any sex-symbol but interesting nonetheless. He is controlled energy, writhing with the beat: dancing and moving-holding the audience entranced. It is the amalgamation of Dancewitme/Fela Kuti/Phoenix Rise that opens the night. Maxwell waves and screams out something about how glad he is to be back in London-the crowd simultaneously stand and greet their man with whoops and cheers.

The show is approximately two hours long, where Maxwell plays 18 songs divided into three-thirds. The first third begins with the indomitable “Dancewitme” which then segues into “Sumthin’ Sumthin’” and then “Lifetime”. Each unit has its own miniature theme: whether it is slow, fast paced or mid tempo. In terms of success, Maxwell’s higher points come with the slower songs-an area he is unrivaled in. Songs like “Bad Habits” and “Woman’s Work” adumbrate the concert exhibiting his ethereal falsetto and husky vibrato. His patent sensitivity-a prerequisite of all soul men – manifests itself through the songs. Although this sensibility runs concomitant with the ever burgeoning inner Lothario; at one point he asks the female audience “How many of you are wearing panties? And how many of your panties match your bras?” Whereby he began to inhale the air in a comedic/lascivious manner.

Maxwell who is a singer par excellence held the attention of concertgoers with his stage antics. When he wasn’t dancing, he was joshing with the audience. During various songs he would punctuate it with call and answer type displays, pointing the microphone to the audience to assist him with the song. The general production was quite limited-minimal almost but wasn’t necessarily required here. Overall it was a good concert- although my only concern was trying to discern reality from simulacrum. I’ve watched many a Maxwell piece on YouTube and I almost couldn’t abdicate myself from that medium. It’s a telling thing about our age in which the cyber world encapsulates our very own metaphysical world-disappointing almost because I couldn’t digest the meat and bones of the concert thus in many parts I felt like I was watching an extended Maxwell clipping on YouTube. Long live the internet!!!!!