BST Hyde Park 2023: Billy Joel

BST Hyde Park:

This weekend marked our second weekend of covering BST Hyde Park. After being treated to epic days headlined by Guns N' Roses and Take That, we are back for another day of musical brilliance headlined by The Piano Mam himself Billy Joel. Billy Joel's only European show of 2023 was supported by a masterfully created line-up giving feelings of nostalgia, while also showing just how brilliant the future of music will be. The main support for the show was Daryl Hall, one half of legendary duo 'Daryl Hall and John Oates', with pop- queen Natasha Bedingfield and country duo Bowen * Young completing the Great Oak Stage lineup. 

As always with BST the quality of music goes far beyond the Great Oak Stage, with established performers and future superstars gracing both the Rainbow and Birdcage stages, meaning we were treated to non-stop high-quality music all day long

Billy Joel:

Billy Joel is nothing short of an all-time great, and with this being his only European date of the year, the anticipation could not be any higher for this gig. The very sight of Billy Joel walking onto the stage was enough to create a roar of cheers, and by the time Joel began his first song 'My Life' the crowd was in a full-on frenzy. Billy Joel seemed genuinely taken aback by the response to his presence saying, "Thank you, London, England! Good to see ya, I don't get to come here that much. And am not sure when this old ass is going to be back again.", before playing stellar renditions of 'Movin' Out' and "The Entertainer`.

Joel again turned his attention to the crowd letting them know he has too many hits to fit into one set, and he needs their help deciding what to play (a trope seemingly used by Joel at a number of his gigs). The audience chose Vienna over Just the Way You Are', and backed up this choice by singing it back in great voice 'Zanzibar' was the next song played, an easy-going bouncy song that is impossible not to boogie down whilst listening. Once this finished Joel stood up from his piano for the first time of the night, being greeted by a huge cheer from the crowd. Billy joked that he was "no Mick Jagger in response to the cheer, causing his band to breakout in an impromptu performance of The Rolling Stones 'Start Me Up' with Joel obliging to sing the first two verses before taking a moment to talk to his audience

It has been 50 years since the An Innocent Man album was released by Billy Joel, and he reflected on his memories of writing the songs, saying "I didnt think I'd do this song in my 70s", before jokingly adding "I didn't think I'd be doing this gig in my 70s!" before performing a pitch perfect rendition of the album's title track. The crowd were incredibly responsive to the incredible vocal performance being shown, providing loud applause every time Joel nailed the song high note.

The next song from Billy Joel was one of the most popular on the night, 'The Longest Time'. This song takes inspiration from barbershop quartet style harmonies, with every member of the crowd spontaneously choosing which part of the song they wished to sing, creating the most brilliant harmony-filled sing along. 'Don't Ask Me Why', 'New York State of Mind' and 'Allentown' all came next, proving to go down rather well with the crowd, before Joel's stunning piano ballad 'She's Always a Woman was played. This song had everyone hugging and swaying, with thousands of core memories being created before my very eyes.

Billy Joel took a brief pause before playing 'Only the Good Die Young' to calm the crowd so a medical incident could be dealt with, showing his true professionalism. This was further shown by the way Joel highlights his band. Crystal Taliefero, who Joel joked had "played every instrument so far" performed a powerful cover of River Deep Mountain High to perfection. Next up it was the turn of Rhythm Guitarist Mike Delguidice to flex his vocal muscles, delivering a soulful cover of 'Nessun Dorma' that had the crowd breathless. Billy Joel allowed his band to take all the deserved appreciation before finishing his main set with 'Scenes From an Italian Restaurant and an epic singalong to 'Piano Man'.

The 6-song encore was packed full of hits, starting with 'We Didn't Start the Fire', a song containing the hardest verses in the world to sing along to, but the crowd more than made up for it on the chorus. Joel then said, "Im going to bring a friend to sing this next song with me" but I would be willing to bet no one expected the words following to be "Please welcome the Jonas Brothers Joe Jonas'. The two men led the crowd through the feel-good anthem where you couldn't help but share their energy. Next up came 'It's still Rock and Roll to Me' and 'Big Shot, before a memorable cover of The Beatles' 'A Hard Day's Night. The final song of the night was "You May Be Right and asthe final note rang out and Billy Joel turned to take in the crowd's appreciation, ending the most incredible day, and perfect night

Daryl Hall:

Legendary American rock 'n' soul singer Daryl Hall was second on the bill, deliveringan hour-long trip down memory lane. Daryl's set celebrated the music of one of the most iconic duos 'Daryl Hall & John Oates', whilst also showing off Hall's solo music, backed by the most brilliant live band

Opening his set with the iconic 'Maneater', Hall immediately had the entirety of Hyde park moving their feet and singing along, as if the crowd were going to collectively become Daryl Hall's duo partner for this gig Next up was Daryl Hall's first big solo hit 'Dreamtime which proved just how capable Hall is a solo artist, a point both Daryl Hall and John Oates had made clear whenever questioned about their partnership.

We quickly returned to Daryl Hall providing his unique solo takes on the duo's songs, with a brilliant rendition of Family Man'. This was followed by one of the songs of the set 'Out of Touch' a true 80's classic that provided the perfect soundtrack for this summer day, being met with rapturous applause from an appreciating audience. 'Method of Love' and solo hit 'I'm in a Philly Mood' kept the crowd dancing, before the brilliant 'Everytime You Go Away' was performed. Not many people realise this song was originally written and recorded by Daryl Hall and John Oates due to the famous cover by Paul Young. Hall's more soulful live performance led to the loudest sing along of his set, with 65,000 people all singing the chorus back, making you wonder why the duo never released this as a single.

Daryl Hall began working his way towards the end of his set with brilliant renditions of 'Sara Smile', 'I Can't Go For That' and 'Rich Girl', before Hyde Park erupted in cheers to the introduction of You Make My Dreams'. This huge hit turned Hyde Park into a dancefloor and ended a brilliant set

Natasha Bedingfield:

Natasha Bedingfield's set was an absolute standout performance, packed full of nostalgia and pop brilliance, with new takes on songs that displayed her insane vocal prowess. Natasha took to the stage in a flowing Steve Nicks-esque outfit, nailing her opening song 'Love Like This', before giving the crowd the most incredible performance of 'Pocketful of Sunshine` The 2008 song is one of Bedingfield's biggest hit, an easy- going dance song with an earworm chorus, however when performed live it became a grunge-inspired ballad that blew the song into a whole new stratosphere. Hearing the line "Take Me Away" belted out with all the conviction of a popstar proving she is still at the top of her game was goosebump inducing

This epic was followed by her first song 'Single', which nearly 20 years sounds even fresher and authentic than when first released. The most incredible set of covers filled the middle section of Natasha Bedingfield's set, starting off with a soulful cover of Coldplay's 'The Scientist`. Next a performance of Bedingfield's own song 'Weightless' finished with a cover medley combining the music of Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars and Natasha's brother Daniel Bedingfield. The final cover of the set came with an epic singalong-inducing performance of Purple Rain'. As the crowd settled from the singalong Natasha Bedingfield began an acapella rendition of her song 'Wild Horses', takinh the opportunity of all focus being on her voice to flex her unbelievable vocal range.

Technical issues delayed the start of penultimate song 'These Words', but like a true professional Bedingfield started a crowd singalong to pass the time, before delivering a flawless performance. The issues unfortunately continued before the final song 'Unwritten, but this led to an impromptu acoustic performance of the song instead that provided the most perfect close to a once-in-a-lifetime set.

Bowen * Young:

Bowen * Young, a husband-and-wife duo from Nashville, had the honour of opening the main stage, and couldn't have seized the opportunity more if they tried. The duo, consisting of Claire Bowen and Brandon Robert Young, opened their set with their newest single 'Water To Wine', and immediately had a large size crowd gathering to take in their feel-good music.

The duo seemed like they were having the time of their life, and judging by the crowd response to Bowen saying "we're just going to keep rocking, Is that alright?" it was clear that everyone in attendance felt the same way. Before starting a hauntingly beautiful cover of 'Halo' by Beyonce Young joked "If you have no hits, play someone else". This self- deprecating humour went down well with the British crowd, as did the cover, but here is no doubt that Bowen * Young have an incredible selection of songs themselves.

Today may have been their introduction to many people, but it is only a matter of time until they become a household name

Rumer:

Rumer, who has become renowned for her stunning vocals, is an artist who genuinely soundtracked a large portion of my school years and is someone who I have wanted to see for over 10 years now. They say good things come to those who wait...well I don't think things can come much better than this Rumer set.

The acclaimed Pakistani-British singer had the privilege of closing the Rainbow Stage this evening, blowing away the packed-out crowd with a set that flexed her lyrical genius as much as her outstanding vocals.

As the temperature began to settle, and the sun began to lower, Rumer's set provided the perfect soundtrack to relax before the evening's headliner A performance crammed full of hits from the off featured some of Rumer's biggest songs including 'Aretha', 'That's That' and 'Slow', conclusively displaying why Rumer is held in such high regard.

Alyssa Bonagura:

Alyssa Bonagura opened the birdcage stage and was greeted with a crowd who were feeling the heat, and were hesitant to move, yet within minutes of opening song 'New Wings' Alyssa had the entire crowd up and moving to her country-inspired pop bangers. Second song 'Other Side of the World' feels a real testament to the well-travelled singer's career so far, balancing life between family in Tennessee and musical studies and performances this side of the Atlantic.

Alyssa's most recent single 'Fly with me' sounds even more incredible live, not that this should be a surprise from a singer who has been performing to audiences since her early childhood. The set continued with a number of Alyssa's hits, being played to perfection with a brilliant live band, and even featured an exciting preview of upcoming single ' On It. Her closing song 'I Make My Own Sunshine' was the perfect finale to an outstanding set. There couldn't have been a better way to start the day

Remember Monday:

Ever found yourself wondering what you'd get if you combined Christina (Phantom of the Opera), Miss Honey (Matilda) and a college deputy head? Well, it turns out you get the most incredible performance. 

Remember Monday are a British country- pop trio making waves through the music industry. The group, consisting of Hull and Charlotte Steele, constantly Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne, drew on their incredible mix of past experiences to treat the packed crowd with an outstanding set, featuring brilliant vocals and a stage presence that displayed the contagious friendship of the band

The trio mastered their way through every song from their esteemed debut EP 'Hysterical Women', before finishing their set with a stunning harmony-filled cover of Queen's 'Fat Bottomed Girls'. 

Remember Monday epitomise everything feel-good music should be, and this set proved it, with every audience member grinning ear-to-ear.