© CPU – Ymke Dirikx
Sam Smith has been traveling with me for a year and a half. Gloria-World Tour. A show about freedom and being who you want to be. Now that the tour is almost over, a stop at Pukkelpop is a must. The show is said to be completely frank, and even in controversial countries like Hungary, it doesn’t practice censorship. Sam Smith has already received a lot of praise for this. In Hasselt, it was up to the Pukkelpopgoers to find out why this show was so controversial.
It was clear from the start that it was going to be a complete spectacle. Some mysterious figures dressed in black entered the stage with lit torches. The first notes of “Stay With Me” echoed through the boxes, and the title of the evening himself appeared on stage. Sam positioned himself behind the backup singers, atop a giant golden statue of a reclining figure. The first verse wasn’t cool yet when the audience was already singing along to the chorus loudly. During the next song “I’m Not the Only One,” the fans quickly took over the lyrics. There were no explicit images at all. Sam Smith was dressed in a long, elegant black coat with gold fringes and a police cap on his head. The rest of the musicians were also in smart attire. “Too Good at Goodbyes” was the first time the artist showed what they had to offer vocally. It makes sense that Smith put his hands together effortlessly.
© CPU – Ymke Dirikx
The coat was off and “Diamonds” gave a first taste of what was to come. Sam Smith already showed off his hip movements as the tripod moved energetically from left to right. Before the artist performed the very cute “Good Thing,” he first leaned into the wings for his first costume change. She returned in a black dress with puffy sleeves. He sang alone and with the spotlight on the artist. Unfortunately, the subdued ballad didn’t really come to life in the big meadow. The next song, “Lay Me Down,” in a duet with best friend LaDonna, managed to strike the right chord.
The stage went dark for a moment. It seemed that the complete transformation had begun with “Gimme”. The dancers twerking in their bare torsos left little to the imagination. Bodies crawled across the floor like snakes and in the blink of an eye the main stage turned out to be the biggest gay bar in Belgium. From that moment on, things went from raunchy to sexy and from sexy to sexy. Yes, it was clear why some Hungarians were shocked by Sziget.
© CPU – Ymke Dirikx
In “I’m Not Here to Make Friends,” Sam was given a new outfit—and the number of outfit changes could no longer be counted on one hand. In a rainbow-colored outfit that looked like it was made of crepe paper—it had to be done. The Masked Singer Participation, probably under a name like “Cotton Candy” – the disco-infused “I’m not here to make friends” was used. A dancer wearing poles attracted attention. For a while, the Moulin Rouge was not in Paris, but in Kiewit. Another moment where the dancer caught the eye was during “Latch”; in a dress and high heels, he twisted his body into the craziest contortions, including perverts. The sensation was all the fuss in the second part of the set. And anyone who thought that the repeater numbers could no longer go beyond that is mistaken. During the gospel-tinged “Gloria”, Sam underwent a final costume change: he took off his shirt, put on a corset and panties. Thus “Unholy” managed to reach the superlative level of shamelessness. Sam’s body and the dancers’ bodies intertwine and sensuality is the common thread. Epic ending.
Sam Smith has proven himself to be a leading ambassador for the gay community in Pukkelpop. They have transformed from stylish to brazen and have dominated the entire field with their sound, spectacle and charisma. A truly beautiful show, where both the visuals and music lift each other to a higher level at every turn.
You can read all Pukkelpop 2024 reviews here.
Like the pictures? On our website Instagram There are so many!
Set menu:
stay with me
I’m not the only one
As much as I can
Very good at saying goodbye
diamond
How do you sleep?
dancing with a stranger
Good thing
put me down
give me
I lose you
Promises
I’m not here to make friends.
He wants
latch
Gloria
unholy
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