REVIEW: JLS at Co-op Live, Saturday 15 November

On 15th November, the much-loved boy band JLS took us back to their prime with an iconic night at Co-op Live. I was kindly invited along by Barclays, one of Co-op Live’s founding partners, which made this review possible.

Bringing in audiences of all ages, JLS, with the support of Example, created an electric atmosphere, transporting us back to X Factor evenings and the era when boy bands were taking over the world.

Example heated up the evening with throwback anthems (and literal fire) such as Changed the Way You Kissed Me and Kickstarts, which to me sound like clubbing when it was at its best and messiest, but in reality take me back to stealing my brother’s CDs — I’m sure he’d have very different memories when listening to Example’s discography. Kickstarting the love for JLS was very successful, with the packed arena of all ages jumping around in what felt like a mega-club for the evening.

JLS took to the stage with dramatic visuals of them turning around, welcoming them back after their previous reunion 2023 tour, Everybody Say JLS: The Hits Tour. They last toured new music on the Goodbye Tour, which ended on December 22nd, 2013, when they announced their break, a sad goodbye for many, as you can tell from the reception of their reunions.

Despite the break between their last tour, they didn’t slack on production. The staging included a giant 3D star protruding out of the stage, revealing each member one by one as the crowd roared for their favourite. This was complemented by fog machines and strobe lights. The show started with The Club Is Alive, and everyone felt it. The same way JLS took me back to school disco days, it would transport anyone else back to significant memories of the early 2010s.

Despite an injured Aston, who had an accident in rehearsals, the show went on, and the others kept the energy moving with the choreography. They even taught the crowd dance moves, capturing the best dancers on the big screen.

Towards the end of the show, DJ decks appeared on stage and the cover segment began. They performed renditions of chart-topping 2010s pop from artists such as Jessie J, Miley Cyrus, and most notably Flo Rida’s Low (Apple Bottom Jeans). The covers were a hit with the crowd, proving the club really was alive.

After the covers, the much-loved band continued with their own iconic discography, with slow songs such as All I Do Is To Make You Proud. It was apparent they had been successful, as the arena sang along and brought their phone torches out in support. The show ended with Everybody in Love and the group jumping into a hole in the stage, sending everyone off into the night buzzing with nostalgia. 

To see other upcoming gigs at Co-op Live, visit cooplive.com.

(Tickets for this review were kindly provided by Barclays, one of the founding partners of the Co-Op Live.)