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Billed as “Australia’s biggest RNB party”, the RNB Fridays Live crew rolled through Perth to present an over six hours worth of RnB feels and memories. Reminding us not only were there some very era-defining RnB tracks by this line-up but also that Beyonce looms large over the entire genre, with Queen Bey being referenced several times having collaborated with Sean Paul, had a huge hit written by Ne-Yo, and was partners in crime with Kelly Rowland.

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RnB Fridays Live – Perth

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The line up was a strong selection of what we were all listening to in the mid-noughties when RnB was peaking with slick production values and incredibly catchy hooks. So it was no surprise to arrive at the Stadium to find a highly attired urban crowd – meaning converse shoes, some cool dance moves, eyebrows that could only be described as ‘on fleek’, and the lingering scent of Lynx Africa wafting over the crowd when the Freo doctor finally came in. It was the unabashed outing fora genre of fans that you don’t normally see en masse in Perth (no playsuits here girl).

Starting off in the mid-afternoon with Ruff Ends and Monifah, it’s always a slightly hard sell as the crowd didn’t really start to roll up until about 5.00pm and others were trying to situate themselves and stock up with trays of drinks. More importantly, it’s hard to bump and grind at 3.30pm in the afternoon. Still, Monifah put in a good effort ending with her only notable hit Touch It, followed by Mario who gave a decent outing of Let Me Love You–  it boded well for the lineup.

Having attended other nostalgia-driven events where half-forgotten acts put in paycheck performances, RNB Fridays Live actually stood head and shoulders above to be in its own class. Large screens used in the centre of, and on each side of the stage gave everyone a good view, the staging was simple but a few well-placed pyrotechnics and solid lighting gave each act a point of difference.

More impressive was that most acts appeared really committed to giving an engaged performance. When flannel shirt wearing Christian Milian came out with two dancers her set was punchy, playful and she sounded as angelic as she does on her records. You might not remember Say I, AM to PM or Dip It Low but open up Spotify and remind yourself because these were massive hits several years ago. Kelis, who dominated a summer with the monster Milkshake came out and did enough to keep the mood high, shimmying her way through a selection of mostly sampled songs.

And whilst promoters described the lineup as ‘royalty’, the only ones who could really fit that title would have been the sassy 90s supergroup En Vogue, and Kelly Rowland. En Vogue, now a trio consisting of Terry Ellis, Rhona Bennett and Cindy Herron the ladies gave a harder edge yet soulful delivery of Whatta Man, Never Gonna Get It, Free Your Mind and Don’t Let Go. Buffered by two eye-candy dancers who gave two audience members a very warm welcome it certainly had most females in the crowd raising their ciders up. Laster Kelly Rowland and her abs, also showed what a career in Destiny’s Child gives you; the experience to put on a show and rule over the crowd with just as much stage presence when singing solo material like Motivation and When Love Takes Over, or when running through a number of Destiny’s Child hits.

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Monifah – RnB Fridays Live

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If you hadn’t heard of Ne-Yo, correction you have heard of Ne-Yo. The artist quietly influenced the charts for a number of years with his ability to write songs with a distinctly female voice including Beyonce’s Irreplaceable. Not only that he had a number of successes himself with several top 10 hits. Coming out with a full stage show including a band, Ne-Yo shining brightly in white, moved deftly around the stage and gave a performance that made you wonder if he was actually the main act all along. Impressive in his ability to connect with his older hits Because of You, Sexy Love and So Sick, the singer and dancer grooved his way into more recent offerings like Closer, and the Pitbull collab Time Of Our Lives.

This left Craig David in a very awkward position, presenting his TS5 format (a reference to his house parties in Miami) which would have fared better had it been earlier in the day. Coming out as a one-man band it was like letting air out of a balloon after the full effort of Ne-Yo. David’s vocal still had that distinct smooth timbre through 7 Days, and new material Heartline but as he moved between adjusting his console and singing it all just fell short. It didn’t much improve by the time Sean Paul came out whose dancehall style got people moving but by this stage in the night, having been on their feet for almost 6 hours the night ended with many appreciating the concert from the available seating.

Surprisingly enough there was enough in each artist’s set to keep the mood high and with old school hip hop hits being spun by DJ Horizon along with MC duties (read comic relief) by Fatman Scoop, RNB Fridays Live turned out to be a banging way to kick off the start of summer allowing us all to hark back to a time that seemed simpler and more carefree.

3 Stars!

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AMNplify – BD