To boyband, or not to boyband? Damage don't seem any surer of their status in the pop world than most of the audience at this one-off gig. As far as the singles go, all signs would seem to point to Damage being the R'n'B Westlife, or the British Dru Hill. Romantic ballads, screaming girlies, slick choreography, a pop star girlfriend - check! And although the Empire is a venue favoured more by 'proper' rock bands than those of a pure pop persuasion, there was no prior indication that this would be more than a greatest hits showcase designed for the knicker wetters down the front.
But Damage have other plans. Rather than having a weak copycat version of themselves as the support act (a classic boyband trick), a couple of DJs and an MC keep the crowd entertained with a selection of the biggest recent R'n'B and garage hits. This is a brave move, because while it gets everyone dancing, it raises the musical standards. Damage need to be good to be better than a Destiny's Child/Craig David/Usher medley.
Then the MC informs us that the boys are going to be late (don't they realise that half the audience have school the next day!) because they're sharing "a bit of a spliff" backstage. Crikey! Not even those bad boys in Five would go that far would they? Is this admirable honesty, or a calculated attempt to appear a bit more adult? The audience, it must be said, look unimpressed at this announcement, particularly the surprisingly large proportion of teenage boys.
Before the band even come on, we're treated to a medley of their biggest singles - 'Love II Love', 'Love Guaranteed', 'Wonderful Tonight' and 'Forever'. Disappointingly this is the last we hear of the boys' R&B stylings tonight. For Damage take to the stage (with a large band) to a number that owes far more to 70s funk than it does to hip-hop or R'n'B. This sets the tone for the show. A succession of new songs and album tracks show off what seems like a new direction for Jaid and the boys. While the hits that made them famous could be performed with a backing tape and a DJ, these songs need a live band - a heavy, muscular bass and several duelling guitars.
The most recent releases, 'Ghetto Romance' and 'Rumours' get an airing, but these are the only concessions to the Damage that a lot of the audience have come to see. The new material sounds good, the boys prove they can sing live, and give off enough energy to enliven even the industry liggers at the back.
But Damage need to tread carefully if the move from beat laden balladeering to, um, funkateering is to be a permanent one. A lot of crestfallen 14 year olds left the Empire tonight.
