Little Mix was the first and the only group to ever win the X Factor back in 2011, and since then they have gone from strength to strength, bringing their sell-out Glory Days tour to the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham for two nights.
Beginning the sell-out show with their huge hit ‘Power’, Little Mix certainly know how to make an entrance with bright lights, brilliantly choreographed dance routines and loud music – all of which sets the stage for an incredible performance.
It’s no secret that Little Mix’s main goal is to promote girl power and encourage women of all ages to stand up for themselves and not be afraid of showing their strength. This was most clearly promoted before their performance of chart-topper ‘Salute’, which hit number six in the UK charts in 2014, where words such as “I am a woman, I am an army on my own” and “a Queen is still a Queen without a King” flashed onto the screen.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that Little Mix still has an audience of young girls under the age of fifteen, but having been to every single one of their tour dates since they first won the X-Factor in 2011, I have seen a clear change in their key demographic. This definitely showed in their audience at Nottingham– admittedly there was a mixture of girls under ten, but teenagers, young adults, and parents who weren’t afraid to have a great time definitely had the majority, dancing away to the girl group’s biggest hits including their very first number one single ‘Wings’.
It wasn’t just Little Mix that sang the night away either. After suffering from a throat infection and subsequently losing her voice, band member Jade Thirlwall wasn’t able to sing and so relied on the audience to sing her parts for her, and despite the pain her throat must have been causing her, she still managed to smile and perform the dance routines as if nothing at all was wrong.
Somehow, Little Mix always manages to surprise me (and their entire audience) this time with a bridge, suspended from the ceiling that ran from the stage at the front of the arena to the seats towards the back, ensuring everyone managed to see the girls up close.
After seeing them perform their biggest and greatest hits live, it’s no surprise that you overhear comments such as “they are absolutely incredible” or “I love them so much”, with a message of girl power resonating in every concertgoer equally, a message as important to the parents as it is to the children.
By Faith Pring