Rihanna performed in Belfast, Northern Ireland tonight (May 24). Click the image above to view the first pictures. The last time she performed in Belfast was in March 2008, click here to view the pictures. Didnt she look great?! Read a concert review after the jump.
Rihanna proved without a shadow of a doubt why she’s a worthy contender for Kylie’s pop crown by putting on an eye-popping performance in front of 8,000 fans in Belfast.
While her current album Rated R divided critics when it was first released in November 2009, her Last Girl On Earth Tour has received rave reviews across the globe thanks to its mesmerising mix of pyrotechnics, explosions and pure, undiluted pop hooks. She pulled out all the stops to banish the crowd’s Monday night blues.
The 22-year-old singer opened her set with the moody hit single Russian Roulette while clad in an eye-catching ballgown bedecked with hundreds of LEDs.
Rihanna shed most of her clothes as the evening wore on and wasted no time breaking out the big guns such as Shut Up And Drive and Rude Boy early on in the performance.
Keen to prove that she’s a bona fide musician in her own right, last night’s show was reassuringly free of backing tracks and lip-syncing.
Her band, led by Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, were defiantly loud and proud during rocked up versions of Disturbia and Don’t Stop The Music.
Visually, the concert rivalled Lady GaGa in the bizarre stakes and saw Rihanna not-so subtlely straddle a huge confetti spouting pink tank during Hard, while her half-naked backing dancers dressed up as monsters on stilts and flew through the air on trapezes dangling from two giant machine guns.
Directed by Madonna and Christina Aquilera’s former right-hand man Jamie King, the show told a futuristic Omega Man-esque story that pitted the singer as the last woman on Earth and employed huge slices of sexual imagery and comic violence to tell their tale.
Tellingly, though, the moments where Rihanna was stripped bare and free from the over-the-top theatrics were the most memorable.
During Hate That I Love You you could hear a pin drop in the Odyssey and it was on songs like that where she showed she was a pop star of true class.
Not surprisingly, the singer opted to end her show with her calling card Umbrella and it sounded as life-affirming as it did four years ago when it was first released, leaving the crowd in no doubt that Rihanna’s star is shining as brightly as ever.
Luv u
Comment by TheLastBitchOnEa☈th — May 25, 2010 @ 12:09 am
Always #1 like the queen :-D :-D
Comment by TheLastBitchOnEa☈th — May 25, 2010 @ 12:10 am
damn, lawgirl. lol.
Comment by vivienne — May 25, 2010 @ 12:11 am
yeah Vivienne I have the majic fingers….I’m out until 2 am to get some zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzs
Comment by TheLastBitchOnEa☈th — May 25, 2010 @ 12:13 am
….rocking the ish out as ways!!!!… 8-)
Comment by Lu — May 25, 2010 @ 12:13 am
OUR QUEEN KEEP ROCKING OUT
Comment by jean091093 — May 25, 2010 @ 12:13 am
*as always
Comment by Lu — May 25, 2010 @ 12:14 am
Damn you Lawgirl.
Comment by Question Existing — May 25, 2010 @ 12:17 am
Fantastic review! Yay Rih!! <3
Comment by mayeee — May 25, 2010 @ 12:18 am
@Lu Hey G4L!! You know our girl is probably resting.Hope you finished those dreaded seminars LoL I’m just hanging out
watching the paint dry I love the summertime.
Comment by maison martin margiela — May 25, 2010 @ 12:18 am
@maison…
…hey G!!!..i answered u in the previous post!!…lol..
…i’m still having some tests but no seminar until Sep/Oct…yayyy!!!… :-/ ….LOL..
Comment by Lu — May 25, 2010 @ 12:25 am
I think im gonna be a good fan and wait till the offical release of RS101 Music Video ;)
but cant resist to watch the leaked version :( lol i just saw one pic of rih and she was all black which looked awesome she is no longer Miss Pon De Replay girl for sure lol
Also heard RS101 is a theme song for a new show in the states of CW or something?? Is tjat a popular network?? Hope RS 101 explodes :)
Comment by GFath — May 25, 2010 @ 12:27 am
LMFAO At the left pic with the shadow at the top ;)
Comment by GFath — May 25, 2010 @ 12:32 am
OH So lastbitch is Law Girl i was wondering in the last few post why yall was calling lastbitch that lol
Comment by Duane Da Vinci — May 25, 2010 @ 12:34 am
it is premiered
VEVO
@FYRihanna We cut your wait short :) http://youtu.be/eMOIUUS8GWo
3 minutes ago via web in reply to FYRihanna
Retweeted by you and 3 others
Comment by jean091093 — May 25, 2010 @ 12:35 am
Video on Vevo no color……….noooooooooooooooooooooooooo but I still love it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMOIUUS8GWo
Comment by TheLastBitchOnEa☈th — May 25, 2010 @ 12:44 am
Would u believe people on twitter saying Rihanna died…SMH
Comment by TheLastBitchOnEa☈th — May 25, 2010 @ 12:45 am
Yes duane i am lawgirl aka lastbitchonearth. follow mw on twitter
http://twitter.com/Rih_Birth
Comment by TheLastBitchOnEa☈th — May 25, 2010 @ 12:47 am
Is there a version for mobile yet?
Comment by Jigga — May 25, 2010 @ 12:55 am
O.k. .. no VeVo surprise ?! .. :| .. No color .. and still edited !! .. USAmerica and ‘explicit’ music videos !! .. :mmh: lame ..
The audio is easy .. but It would take ages to ‘restore’ the images and colorize that thing !! ..
No way .. I’ll do that .. even if I could !! .. It’s not worth my time !! .. :SMFH: ..
*GNerd*
Comment by Harry 'Nanny' Benfito — May 25, 2010 @ 12:58 am
The ROCKSTAR video is great!!! <3 I love it!
Comment by AssA — May 25, 2010 @ 12:59 am
NEW POST!…
Comment by Lu — May 25, 2010 @ 1:08 am
I now, sorry xD
Comment by AssA — May 25, 2010 @ 1:19 am
Rihanna is a true star!!!! Forever!!!!
I LOVE RIHANNA <3333333333333333333333
Comment by TK-75523 — May 25, 2010 @ 2:57 am
went to it she was amazing!!!!!! love,love,love you rihann (: xxxxxxx
Comment by A.M.Y — May 28, 2010 @ 8:12 am
Went to see her at belfast what can i say other that amazing RIHANNA I LOVE YOU!! :-*
Comment by loveher — May 31, 2010 @ 11:10 am