Reviews / Live

Next on our list was Macklemore & Ryan Lewis who delivered an impressive set (although disappointingly there was no impromptu appearance by Queen Latifah officiating any mass weddings).

The set was, in a word, dominant, and Bruno Mars currently stands as one of the best performers in the world.

It was unsurprising that the outfit’s earlier material was favoured above tracks lifted off Burials, but to say that AFI’s set was simply a nostalgia trip would be a criminal undersell; there’s a good reason they were – and still are – a treasured band in the eyes of many, and the evening’s proceedings were proof enough.

This show won’t detract from such progress; the crowd-pleasers simply had the misfortune of following a sterling display, and therefore felt just a tad anti-climactic.

I Will Always Love You saw a triumphant end to a set that reminded most of a time when musicians were more like entertainers.

It may be fanciful, but this magical artist, who’s no doubt seen the worst in people through his chequered life, is still a believer.