Hello ducklings, I have finally made time to make this review since reading reviews is usually the best part of these tours. First off, I went to send a little appreciation kiss in the air because without this site I wouldn't have been able to meet the greatest people in my life. I literally liked the people I met more than the actual show but that's usually the case
. And this was my first time ever meeting online friends and everyone was completely normal and amazing and we all started off on this site so yay Im thankful. (Love you duck, kay, and jess)
Now to the actual show, thanks to duck who got us to bomb ass tickets I got to literally be three rows away from the ethereal love of my life Mr. Phil Lester. We got there a little earlier and there were so many people already there but somehow the audience was a little older. I mean I still saw whiskers and some dinosaur onesies but there were also people of different ages in the audience (yes I'm a creeper that likes to people watch). It's like there was a small shift in the audience from being majority 13-16 to being 16-above and it was actually really nice. When we sat down there was the usual dancing and singing and I kind of felt like a cynical grandma because I was just sitting there with my pen and paper waiting for the show to start. But honestly looking around at the audience always makes me feel really fucking warm inside. I always call the phandom a band of misfits that come from different backgrounds, identities, sexualities, lifestyles and yet we are all connected in this wonderful and sometimes messy community. And the shows are the one place where the lights are dim and you're with people that understand why you're here so you can be unapologetically yourself. You can be cringe and twerk to MCR and be free about it. I'm happy these younger people got to grow in this community and dp should be a little proud that they brought so many people together and most definitely improved peoples lives with their connection.
The drawback that I knew going in about the LA show was that it would be a little stiffer and polished and we wouldn't get to learn anything new. I expected strong branding and perfection. The first half of the show was pretty bland. I spent the whole time watching their mannerisms and noting how they perform. As most people have mentioned Dan is extremely well at controlling the audience and being more of a dominant performer. He has the voice that project, the confidence, and the charming sass of an excellent entertainer. He's also really beautiful and sweet, his smile can end a war and his voice is so genuine at times that I know that he appreciates being here with all of us. He's actually really funny live, there was a portion where he has to convince us why wet socks are a good idea and I literally scream laughed. He's so flamboyant and such a drama kid that it looks like he belongs on stage.
Phil is FUCKING GORGEOUS HELLO 911 SEND ME AN AMBULANCE. I could write a poem about his face in every shade of light and his body and movements because everything is just so endearing. Phil as a performer a bit more hesitant, a little more awkward but a lot more real. He does his dramatic tv host voice and hops around adorably but there is something charming about the way he performs, you can tell that he is completely out of his comfort zone but he is trying and it is extremely endearing, Out of the two, I felt like I learned more about Phil, maybe because I was studying him closely (hello that's all I do in my boring life) but also because I saw several breaks in character where he was unsure or messed up a line (maybe nerves). Dan was confident and flawless in his performance while Phil was not. You could see the brief flash on panic in his eyes before he fixed himself. He seemed to be good at not freaking out, better then tatinof when he would mess up a magic trick and be terrified. He's grown as a performer. He's also extremely sweet at points in the show. There was a part in audience participation where this girl was talking too softly so he leaned over the stage and had this sweet little voice and asked her to speak up and I DIED. Another moment that stood out was the part where they're getting personal with the audience. Dan says something while phil sits down (he was literally in front of my life of vision) and he just laughs suddenly and his eyes crinkle and I was in a puddle of tears. He literally finds Dan so funny that he couldn't even keep in character. And it as such a fond fucking laugh it could have make grinches heart grow 7 times over
In terms of chemistry, they pick up on each others cues really well. It's great to see time communicate non verbally through glances and small movements. They were pretty good at reading each other and working around each other.
Back to the show, the first half was pretty boring but the second half really picked up. There are so many interpretations for the portion where they say "we are real people and we are trusting you with our lives" and at first I thought they were trying to guilt us for being wild and insensitive to their comfort zones. I spoke about it with duck on our drive back and she offered better insight. I think they were trying to tell us that they know about everything we do, and that they as humans acknowledge and trust us by opening up more. Whether its phil opening up finally about his insecurities about his appearance and changing it or dan making a blow job reference on a main channel video. They're trying to trust us but they expect respect and patience from us too. It's not easy being honest and vulnerable to a huge group of strangers but they are TRYING, and they are completely in tune and connected with what we do an say (to a pint that is actually impressive). It's not them condoning us for making them uncomfortable but instead, it's celebrating the fact that they themselves have reached a point where they can open up to this crazy group of individuals, and they just want to trust us as much as we trust them. It's poetic and vulnerable and I hope that they do feel comfortable after these shows to proceed and be more natural as they've been trying to do all of 2018. Hello, Phil liking a post about a man in his underwear playing mario kart was the greatest moment of my life, they are trying and they are trusting us to act accordingly.
The song itself was the greatest portion of the show OF COURSE HOW COULD IT NOT BE. Phils rap was completely uncomfortable to watch on video because you're like WHAT IS THIS WHITE BOY DOING but in person its fucking great. Like he's so confident in being a complete dork and spewing out these lyrics that would make anyone roll up into cringe, but he's confident about it and hes so fucking great at it. The piano bit literally made me reborn. It was so fucking fond and dans amazing at the piano, and his voice is so sweet and lyrical. When Phil starts sitting on a piano he literally glances at Dan like 9 times in the most fond way and Dan looks back when Phils not looking I wanted to KILL THEM FOR DOING THAT. Phils solo was great, his voice is actually quite good and even tho it's shaky he does get on his knees to us and its extremely enjoyable. The ending is them walking around thanking us and it actually seemed really genuine and sweet. I really do think they enjoyed performing for us and they left me completely warm and soft for them. I swear the show is worth it for the fact that you get to see them in flesh, the people that have been with you for all the struggles in your life. They're like consistent friends who we feel like we have known for our whole lives and now we get to see them.
Final thoughts: I enjoyed tatinof more just because I felt like it was consistently a trainwreck but there was story and flow that ii lacks. As a show it was okay, but because dp are doing it, its immediately alot better. There were lots of portions I would have cut out and I would have preferred that they didn't do so much props and kept it simple. The theme doesn't seem to relate with the show fully. It's like having a thesis and not following it fully. If they ever do another tour Id prefer something like the second half, lounging back talking to us and having little games. A show is sometimes good in its simplicity so I hope they consider that.
thanks for reading all the way through now im gonna get back to being a lurker
BYEEEE