DVD review: Gwen Stefani - Harajuku Lovers Live (E)

The only problem is that however individual each of these artistes try to be, they cannot help but borrow from '80s Madge.
Stefani is no exception. Her live show is polished to perfection and she certainly involves the audience on every level.

But every so often - she looks like a second rate Madonna. Her voice is certainly stronger but her whole platinum blonde Jean Harlow-esque image is very 'material girl', no doubt about it.
As are the long sections of the show featuring break dancers and acrobatics, designed to stop the audience from clock watching whilst Stefani changes outfits more times than Carrie Bradshaw.

Gwen does have a great sense of humour though and it does come across in her live performance.
During the song Crash she dresses like Puff Mommy, complete with bandana, very aware that her new image is completely at odds with her Primrose Hill lifestyle.
Of the songs, the huge hit single What You Waiting For?

- a mix between Kate Bush, Tori Amos and Pink is the strongest. The Tick Tock chorus leaves you unable to sit still.
The energy that Gwen brings to this song is certainly infectious.

Flanked by her controversial Harajuku girls, the live Stefani experience has old fashioned glamour with its Moulin Rouge feel.
The track The Real Thing slows things down and is reminiscent of Cyndi Lauper. The eclectic nature of the songs has an effect on you watching this at home.

In that, there are tracks when your kettle will prove handy- to make you a drink until a better song comes along. Take away the visual splendour and you are left with an artiste who tries to approach so many different genres at once that you are left feeling a bit bombarded.
Aside from the stonking Hollaback Girl and the other hits, many of the other album tracks fail to fill you with the same amount of excitement.

New single Wind It Up with its sample from The Sound Of Music is ok but it does sound like Hollaback/Rich Girl combined.
This ex-rock chick proves her stripes in this stunning show. Now all she needs to do is find more consistent material to give her live act the added pace it needs.

What do you think?