Pharrell Williams in Berlin: Happiness with Fast Forward – Musikexpress.de

No, a great orator is not Pharrell. Only twice he directs his word on that evening a little more detail on the viewers. Once something to mumble about rules and boundaries and the Berlin Wall – details go unfortunately, at least for the rear part of the audience lost somewhere in the hall round – and once to provide an insight into his philosophy. Out there, he says before the last song, is hate. Too much hatred. “Sick and tired” he was so. The hatred one should simply igonrieren and – be “happy”

The biggest hit Pharrell completed a one and a half hour concert, which consists primarily of the biggest hits Pharrell – properly.. Means: The current solo album GIRL is played through to a recording, the focus of the evening are but on producers Pharrell work. So we hear next to the great success of last year and a half (of course he plays “Blurred Lines” and “Get Lucky”) also older material from the catalog. Encounters with songs like Snoop Dogg’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot and Nelly’s” Hot In Herre “are quite entertaining, but also a bit bizarre, finally are the original artist is not on stage, what Pharrell forces to all kinds of modifications. He shortened the song so mostly by one to two verses and participate very limited, which makes itself felt especially in “Hollaback Girl”, and again ten years ago, a hit for Gwen Stefani.

While the background singers, the dancers and the four-piece band take over the work, he stomps across the stage and barks now and then parts of the chorus or friendly commands towards the audience. And once he finally disappears completely. Only a playback volume of his music can be heard, as he each a minute or two solo show indulges with a shovel too much generosity his dancers – he thanks with deepest bows. This is entertaining, no question, as well as the NERD-Medley, for Pharrell his colleagues Shae Haley gets on stage. This evening clearly shows how important the Americans for the contemporary pop. But sometimes you would just like to hear a song quite complete. Over large parts of the program it seems as someone as constantly press the fast forward key.

So you have to his Happiness quasi pull out individual elements, of which the following deserve special mention: the groove of “Blurred Lines”. This song, by which the reviewer has previously made a large bow is actually quite pleasant, at least when Robin Thicke bored during the performance at the other end of the earth. At the very beginning of the concert wearing Pharrell Williams not only so very reminiscent of the logo of the American Roastbeafsandwichkette “Arby’s” Westwood Hat, this time in a playful and slightly less bulky acting burgundy version, but also a lot of chains. So VERY many chains. Unfortunately, he pulls them together Heavyweight after a number. In “Freq”, the hidden track from the new album GIRL, suddenly the whole Krawumms is gone, Pharrell voice alone with his background singer and keyboard tupfigen clouds. Once the dancers wear robes, as on the album cover, some viewers do like them, what looks irritating, but also interesting. And: In “Drop it Like It’s Hot” is sound and choreography and the video link on the big screen and the well 10000 spectators at a big ball of enthusiasm. Schön!