M
LEONA LEWIS FAN MAGAZINE
ES I V O
& N O I H S FA
ISSUE 3
APRIL 2011
Le
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NICOLA CARSON THE PERSON BEHIND LEONA
ISSUE 3
News Leona Fashion Style Rays of Sunshine Article Bridge Over Troubled Water CosmicUk‘s Story Nicola Carson Article My Forum Great Singers & Their Vocal Range Horror Movies Labyrinth Concert/DVD & CD reviews
Bleeding Lovely Team are: John Messenbird (Made In The 60’s Leona Fan) Editor In Chief/Features Writer
Daniel (Poker_face) Graphics Designer/Features writer
Alexander Bihn (Bihni) Artist/Features Writer
Vale (Vale) Features Writer
Chloe Leadbeater (llfan4eva) Founder/Publicity & Marketing/ Features Writer
Plus contributions from various members of the official Leona Lewis Forum at www. leonalewismusic.co.uk\forums
APRIL 2011
By John Messenbird (Made In The 60’s Leona Fan) Spring is on the way and Leona’s fans are hopping with excitement, a single & an album from our Princess is eminent. By the time you read this it will be the weekend of Leona Lewis’ Birthday. She will be 26 on the 3rd April. Just to think when she walked into that X-Factor audition room, Leona was just a 21 year old girl with a dream. Then you may have of had plans for your own dreams, the years that followed probably brought success your way, I hope they have! Now its time to reflect and wonder where the Leona Lewis journey will take us all to. She has certainly been an inspiration to us all in our fan artwork, computer graphics/design & creative writing. It seems that Leona’s magic has touched us in more than just the music that we have grown to love, in this inspiration she has given us the motivation to develop our own skills and improve upon them. And for the non-creative amongst us, there was still love for you in this aurora of beauty that radiated out from our LeLe You might of noticed that we are now a bit thin on staff in this issue. Even they have dreams to follow, getting in to university, promotion at work or whatever their ambitions are we wish them all the success they are dreaming of. Their hard work in Issue 1 & 2 made a major contribution to Bleeding Lovely Magazine’s success. If they do find the time in the future, they will all be warmly welcomed back as old friends of Bleeding Lovely. We want them back! So I won‘t keep you now, dive into the magazine and enjoy the magic that is Leona Lewis. When Leona sings, her voice touches heaven & your dreams take flight!
ISSUE 3
CosmicUK‘s Story
Early on this year CosmicUK had written to the Official Leona Lewis Forum of how his visit to see Leona helped him overcome problems. ComicUK has autism and this causes him to have problems with being in crowded places and unfamiliar surroundings. You can read his story of how he found the courage to brave the crowds at the O2 in this Issue.
Bleeding Lovely Known is Serbia
A big thanks to Illusionist for spreading the word of Bleeding Lovely Magazine in Serbia. To every one at Leona Lewis Serbia thanks for the write up from all at Bleeding Lovely Magazine. Please take a look at their fantastic site at http://www.leonalewisserbia.com/2010/12/predstavljamo-vam-bleeding-lovely.html It‘s in Croatian but Google can translate into English for you.
Not only does Leona have a multifaceted voice, she also gives variety when it comes to fashion. One could name an infinite number of styles Leona has tried out but let‘s concentrate on a few examples. There‘s a natural look she sticks to when doing some shopping, hanging out with friends or relaxing on the beach. This proves that Leona is a natural beauty and doesn‘t need any makeup to be a real stunner. She used to wear her hair curly at the beginning of her career and altered it to straight later. Leona‘s style started to become more significant and unique during the Echo era. Vivienne Westwood
APRIL 2011
NEWS DESK Leona Lewis is a ‚Ray of Sunshine‘
On the 16th January Leona did an appeal for the children‘s charity Rays of Sunshine on BBC1. This feature the stories of 2 little girls. One wanted to be a Princess for a day. Our Princess, Leona stepped back and let this little Princess be the star for the day. Then Leona went on a shopping trip with an older girl. Leona truly made these young be the celebrity stars of the show and this is why we love Leona so much, she always puts others before herself. You can read more about this in Chloe‘s article in this very Issue of Bleeding Lovely.
Leona's Fashion Style
provided our shining star with amazing designer clothes. From that moment on Leona appeared in fashion magazines more often and turned into a fashion queen. Don‘t forget to take a look at the robes Leona wore for festive occasions. The golden dress impressed everybody who attended the Grammy awards for instance. On tour Leona surprised her fans with glittery and luxurious clothes she spent a lot of money on. It‘s obvious that she decides herself what to wear or not. Then came a huge turning point in February of 2011. Our princess shocked the world with new sexy outfits and
an amazing haircut. She is readyto take risks and show a new side of herself. I‘ve immediately fallen in love with her new look that sets her apart from any artist out there. That‘s what I call unique, WOW! We are all looking forward to seeing what Leona does next. However, there‘s one aspect that shouldn‘t be left aside. Leona is very beautiful on the outside but twice as much inside. She fights for the rights of animals and spreads love all around the world. written by poker_face
Leon a
ISSUE 3
a is
APRIL 2011
of Sunshin y a R e Rays of Sunshine Children‘s Charity was formed in 2004 to help children who are living with serious or life-limiting illnesses between the ages of 3-18, across the United Kingdom. It does this by granting these children wishes however impossible the wish may seem and helping hospitals, hospices and specialist schools improve their facilities. How it works; o Children who are living with a serious or life-limiting illness think of a wish. o A wish application is completed on behalf of the child. o They take the completed application to their Appeals committee within two weeks of receipt. o The family are informed which wish has been granted and... o The wish is turned into a happy memory giving the child and their family an unforgettable experience, and break from their daily routine of medication and hospital appointments. On 16th January a Rays Of Sunshine Lifeline appeal was broadcast on BBC 1 (UK TV Channel). It had Leona talking about the work that Rays Of Sunshine do and it even featured Leona granting a wish. It was a moving appeal. Many fans said that they had cried during the appeal. Because of the appeal, a few fans decided to set up an appeal to help Rays Of Sunshine. You can follow them on Twitter at @Leona_Mission and follow Rays Of Sunshine at @RaysofSunshine. Please support this amazing charity in all they do. Thank you! Written by Chloe Leadbeater
ISSUE 3
APRIL 2011
Bridge Over Troubled Water By Neolla62
Seeing Leona wearing her dream key in some recent photos gives me the desperate urge to VERY LOUDLY serenade her with these words:
Sail on Silver Girl¤ Sail on by Your time has come to shine (again) All your dreams are on their way See how they shine When you need a friend I’m sailing right behind Like a bridge over troubled water§ Which of course you sang spectacularly beautifully on XFactor.* Thank you so much for all the joy you give us. Lots and lots of love. * First broadcast on the 18th November 2006 § A verse from ‚Bridge Over Troubled Water‘, a Worldwide hit by Simon & Garfunkel in 1970, written by Paul Simon in 1969. ¤ This was originally “Sale on Silver Bird” but changed because Leona inspired these thoughts.
CosmicUK‘s Story
By CosmicUK
I am not sure if I am posting this in the right section* but its kind of about the tour. Being Autistic its very hard for me to being in places where there is going to be a large amount of people, I usually do everything I can to avoid those kind of situations and very rarely go out alone. Well that was before I went to see Leona. I am in my 20’s and it may sounds silly and I may get ridiculed for this but it was a really big deal to me that I managed to go to see Leona and combat my autism.
I didn’t feel comfortable being near the front so I ordered two tickets at the back for me and a friend and I had a wonderful time. I thought I would write to Leona to tell her the difference going to see her had made to my life. It may sound weird but that one night out has made doing things I never felt confident to do a whole lot easier. Since then I now go out places on my own, I’ve even abseiled down buildings and just done things that most people take for granted. I’d like to say I received a reply from Leona or her management just saying they’d got my letter
because it would have made the whole thing even more special and just would have been nice. I know she will be busy and maybe I am being daft wanting the reply but until you’ve been in my situation its hard to understand how much it would have meant to know she’d read my letter. Anyway I am still a huge Leona fan and hope she tours again so I can get tickets closer to the front. * Referring to the thread this was originally posted on at the Official Leona Lewis Forum.
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APRIL 2011
LEONA‘S GUARDIAN ANGEL by John Messenbird
Nicola Carson is the lady behind Leona Lewis, like The President’s First Lady or The Queen’s Lady in Waiting. A solidly reliable person who can be counted upon and a good friend. Nicola is a part of a team that works for Leona (and other artistes) at Modest!. Before her first break into the music industry, Nicola had been working on local and regional radio in Essex (a County in the UK) and in local magazines plus event organisation. This internships would give her the work experience, knowledge & more importantly contacts needed to succeed within the media industry. As a result she earned a GNVQ (General National Vocational Qualification) – A high standard work based qualification in the United Kingdom. Awarded up to 2007 in Schools and colleges, these were mainly based assignments done as part of a work experience programme as opposed to the tradition test & exam based qualifications - Nicola’s career started at Sony Music in the UK just before she turned 17 in 1998 she was appointed as a Promotions Assistant at Epic Records it wasn’t long before she started climbing up through the company with a promotion to TV executive. This involve promoting domestic & international recording artists such as: Jennifer Lopez Incubus Anastacia Jamiroquai Macy Gray B2K
Primal Scream Lemar Xzibit Brian McFadden MOP During this time Sony & BMG merged to form Sony/BMG and Nicola carried on working for them up to 2004 then staying with the company she move to Australia and worked at Sony/BMG offices in Sydney with domestic acts in Australia entering the Global marketplace and International acts coming into the Australian market. 2005 saw Nicola return to the UK and begin her career at Modest! Management. Modest! Is a company that works with various artists in the fields of Music, Theatre & Fashion, they offer the artists a total management package including Writing, Recording, Touring, Branding, Partnerships, Merchandise, Endorsements, Theatre, Television and Publicity. The company was founded in London back in 2003 by Richard Griffiths who had been a London based booking agent since 1974 and Harry Magee who had work for Virgin Music previously. They work with Syco in managing the X-Factor contestants careers. All of their acts are Worldclass if not Worldfamous (yet!). These include the following artists: Alexandra Burke Alison Moyet Diana Vickers Gamu JLS
Joe McElderry Lemar Leona Lewis Lucie Jones Olly Murs Paul Potts Ray Quinn Ruff Diamondz aka RD X-Factor Artists In 2008 Nicola moved to Los Angeles and established the US Branch of Modest! Management. Before taking the post in America Nicola had spent 3 years in the UK looking after the careers of Leona Lewis which she still does in from her LA office & Lemar, you might remember him for coming in third place in the BBC reality casting show, Fame Academy back in 2002. David Sneddon & Sinéad Quinn was second, Lemar eventually went on and gained the greastest success still recording today. Nicola has since become Leona’s best friend like a elder sister always there for our Princess, Nicola has earned so much respect & admiration for her kindness to all of Leona’s fans there is even a Nicola Carson Appreciation Thread on the Leona Lewis Official Forum at http://www.leonalewismusic.co.uk/ gb/forums/viewthread/5812/
ISSUE 3
APRIL 2011
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My Forum By Paulette
ISSUE 3
APRIL 2011
Great Singers & Their Vocal Range By Alexander Bihn
There are many singers in the world, or at least those who call themselves this way. I’m going to show you the really good singers like our Leona Lewis. And by that I mean the REALLY good singers who have an appropriate enclosure and not vocals like Katy Perry, Lady GaGa and Rihanna. They are only “singers”. There are many legends as Aretha Franklin, but I’m going to make this more on the “actual” singers. The first is Christina Aguilera. Christina Aguilera‘s work has earned her numerously artist awards on the list under the age of thirty. Aguilera has sold nearly 50 million albums worldwide making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Living legend. Multi-platinum selling, five-time Grammy award-winning artist Christina Aguilera is a bilingual (English/ Spanish) singersongwriter mixed with Irish and Ecuadorian roots. One of the most successful recording artists of the 21st century; Is the only artist under 30 to be named one of the „100 Greatest Artists of All Time „. Her Grammy performance of James Brown was voted third best Grammy performance of all time. Named the „Best Singer in the World“ by Celine Dion. Known for her
powerful voice and her ability to sing acapella. Give her a mic and get ready to be blown away. Its the truth, no need for comparisons. Her vocal range is A2C#7, Which is a vocal range of 4 octaves and 2 notes. Absolutely amazing! The next is the well known Mariah Carey (pictured above). Her vocal range is from G#2 G#7, which is so amazing and it works out at exactly 5 octaves! The fivetime Grammy Award winner is expecting her first child and has already sold nearly 150 million records! Unbelievable. She is definitely a living legend!
And to abbreviate a lot, I will now call other singers who have an undisputed good voice! Whitney Houston A2-A6 (4 Octaves) Hayley Williams E3-A6 (4 Octaves) Amy Lee Eb3-E7 (4 Octaves) Janelle Monae Eb3-C7 (4 Octaves)
Charice C3 - E6 (3 Octaves) Avril Lavigne C#3-B5 (3 Octaves) JoJo C#3-E6 (3 Octaves) Jennifer Hudson Eb3-B5 (3 Octaves) Alicia Keys Bb2-B5 (3 Octaves) Demi Lovato Eb3-Eb6 (3 Octaves) Kelly Clarkson‘s Eb3-F#6 (3 Octaves)
ISSUE 3
APRIL 2011
HORROR FILMS By Alexander Bihn Many love them, many hate them - Horror Movies But what makes them so exciting, and why many hate them? It’s very simple. Historically is the horror film from the stage melodrama of the 19th Century onwards, the often-oriented novels of showers. The first Horror film? It was a well-known French film maker Georges Melies, who made the first horror film. The film was titled as Le Manoir Du Diable (French for: The House of the Devil). It was released in 1896, on Christmas Eve, in Paris. It was a two-minute long film and contained many traditional pantomime elements. This film also depicts a haunted castle and manor of the devil. The element of horror was initiated during the classic age of English literary history. Some of them are Gothic novels like Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Phantom of the Opera and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Besides these, there were a sequence of Mummy films. If you want to know more, then read evolution of horror film. After the Second World War, the devastation caused by war gave rise to three genres: ‚The Horror-of-Personality‘ films, the ‚Horror-of-Armageddon‘ subgenre and the ‚Horror-of-the-Demonic‘ films. However, during the age of modern and post-modernism, the element of sadistic horror and the supernatural ruled these films. Gore Verbinski‘s „The Ring“ released in 2002, can be named as one of the most effective horror films of the modern era. Steven Spielberg‘s first notable film „Paranoiac Duel“ (1972) casts a spell of sadistic horror. Here, we can mention William Malone‘s „Fear Dotcom“ (2002), and James Wan‘s „Saw“ (2004), sequels of which were released in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Recently, the film directors have introduced a new trend ‘chick flicks‘, which have the element of traditional horror-adventure. For eg: Lions Gate‘s awe-stricken and terrifying „The Descent“ which was released in 2006. This film is regarded as the first chick flick and includes the element of female brutal action. Most people are disgusted / shudder at horror films and horror films are therefore very controversial. Here is a list of the most watched horror films of all time!
1.Shining USA 1980 by Stanley Kubrick 2. The Sixth Sense USA 1999 by M. Night Shyamalan 3. Psycho USA 1960 by Alfred Hitchcock 4. Interview with a Vampire USA 1994 by Neil Jordan 5. Halloween USA 1978 by John Carpenter
LABYRINTH MINI SUPPLEMENT CONCERTS & DVD/CD REVIEWS
Review by a Leona Lewis Fan The summer of 2010 was my favourite summer, full of so many memories I’ll cherish always, moments that will forever make me smile, cry, giggle or dance to as soon as my mind travels back. Everything was special, by the end of the tour I had lived my dream. Seeing Leona just grace her own stage was the main dream to be honest, to be able to spend 90 minutes just ‘with’ Leona and embracing her music. Not only that though, by the end of the tour I lived what I didn’t ever think I could have; I hugged Leona, I got to tell her how much she meant to me (more in cards that I know she read, in person I froze!), I felt closer to her than I ever had. This tour will stay in my heart because it made my heart so much better. From her first audition we all knew that this is what Lee wanted, this is where she pretended to be when she sang in her room as a little girl, this is where her mind wandered when she was answering phones or taking pizza orders. So for this to happen, finally, meant everything! From the twinkle in her eyes, her walk (strut), her beaming smile, this was the tour that confirmed to Leona, to the fans (although most of us knew) and to everyone else; Leona had made it, Leona was a star. So when Nicola (the legend) replied to my DVD question on June 12th with “all I can say is you won’t be disappointed” my heart was complete and she wasn’t wrong :) And whether Nicola reads this or not I just want to take the time to thank her for making this DVD possible. I can never thank you enough for everything that you’ve given me, I love Leona to the moon and back but you’re a star to me. Every time I smile you’re one of the reasons behind it because I wouldn’t have my signed programme (colour photocopied behind my bed!) or my photos or my hugs or 2 of the most magical evenings with my mum. This DVD is a beautiful finish to a perfect summer, you and Leona gave me my smile back. This DVD/Blu Ray was due for release on November 29th, some lucky people got it even Wednesday (24th November), my friend @Craigizzle even got his yesterday, but for me my day, my ‘Lewis Day’, was Saturday. I got out of bed just in time this morning to see the boxes get pushed the letter box and then I ran upstairs, jumped on my bed and opened them. Even though I’d already seen the cover seeing it in my hands took my breath away, it was beautiful. This was a special moment and I wanted everything to be perfect, I couldn’t watch this DVD in a messy room! I put the CD on and started to make everything ok, although I kept getting distracted by doing my own dance routines in the mirror. I can safely say if you want to get something done don’t put on the Leona Live CD because you will find yourself getting so lost in it that it will never just be in the background – Leona will never just be in the background. For anyone who had doubts or criticisms about the CD owning it should silence your thoughts, its one fabulous collection of music. ‘Homeless’ will still be one of the finest live vocal performances of any artist, ‘Can’t Breathe’ will still hold notes you could never comprehend if you hadn’t been there to experience them. But what has been chosen for the CD is wonderful and you will sing along from the first to the last second. Maybe that’s even why those 10 tracks were chosen, the DVD is about the wonder of Leona, it’s the showcase of who she is and what she can do. The CD is about bringing you and Lee together even more, a little added present to something so amazing. You put it on and you sing with her, ok maybe “sing” is generous in my case but you at least try. You get caught up in those moments on tour when you felt at your closest to Leona and you just smile and sing. It’s safe to say it’s a CD that makes me very happy and I’m so happy that some of the lesser recognised songs like ‘Whatever It Takes’, ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ and ‘Sweet Dreams’ made it because they’re songs when Lee definitely came into her own. And by the time I got to ‘Run’ I was stood in a still messy room just smiling with my eyes full of tears. I realise I sound like a terrible geek but I have been looking forward to this day for a long time, even before it was announced, and not one day has passed since May 28th when I haven’t thought about the tour. Being able to see it again with my own eyes was going to be a really special moment for me. I can’t even begin to describe how happy Leona makes me, she just turns all the bad thoughts off in my head and all I have left is this brilliant, content happiness. Leona is a beautiful lady with a voice nearly as big as her heart and the way she just shows that heart with such bravery is what I love the most. She brings out the best in me; Leona shows the realest part of me because she inspires me to live my life with as much dignity, passion and kindness as her. This tour, this DVD, shows who Leona Lewis really is, her music is her voice, when she sings she reveals her soul to you with so much honesty and at times vulnerability that you find yourself falling in love with her even more than you thought possible. People often don’t take the time with Leona, I’m so glad I did because my life is better for her. And as soon as I pressed play on the DVD my life got even better. OK so first off, the menu is gorgeous!!! And had I known they would have been using the footage of Leona with the horse and the archway I probably could have got out of having to madly try and take a picture of it on tour for my mother! Straight away, with the screens down, the amazing narrative, the footage of Leona, the sight of the crowd, the noise…it was like I was back, I was back in the O2. At this point in the show I would be sat on the end of my seat, my leg shaking, my heart beating so fast, butterflies in my tummy and with the most overwhelming, and confusing, feeling of not knowing whether to laugh or cry with joy. All those feelings came back, I don’t think they’ll ever go away and I never want them to, it’s that feeling of knowing something wonderful is about to happen and I only feel it with Leona. When I’m truly happy I feel like I leave my body, I feel numb with
bliss; I’m aware of what I’m doing, how I’m feeling but I have no control of it. I found myself smiling so much it hurt when she walked through the archway, I started doing this excited little shuffle dance and when she took that hood down I felt my breath go. Whenever I see her I can never get over just how beautiful Leona is, she stands there so magnificent and proud and ready to own the stage. She looks like a princess, her eyes sparkling, her hair looking like gold and I had to mentally pinch myself when I thought ‘I’ve
,
hugged that dress!’ I have that photo by my bed so it’s the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing I see at night. The theme for the tour was the Labyrinth, the fantasy movie and it’s a theme that quite clearly carried through to the DVD as well. The footage is captured so beautifully and edited with soft focus, slow mo, distorted colours, fade ins/outs and overlapped shots to the extent that it’s stunning to watch and brings that magical theme to life, even Leona’s dresses sparkle. I’ve seen quite a few concert DVDs but this one you can tell was made with real focus and love and it was even edited with Leona’s vision and passion in mind. The long shots of the set, the dancers and the crowd really helped you appreciate the scale of this tour in a way that I will admit I missed when I was there. Everything was so spectacular when I was then, even up to the 12th time, that it was overwhelming and of course my eyes were always transfixed on the Lewis, I had no control over it. But Leona worked with such an incredible team, they all seemed so lovely and supportive and helped bring out a great confidence in her – Jermaine Browne in particular has got one fabulous show reel here and deservedly so. So much detail was put into this tour, the aerialist work in Outta My Head, the costumes in Don’t Let Me Down, the beauty to I See You / Can’t Breathe and the theatrics to Could It Be Magic can now be witnessed in all their glory. Even Better in Time was more beautiful than I remembered, I would always spend that performance jumping around, singing and smiling and frantically waving at Leona like I was drowning. But watch Better In Time again and the dancers and the costumes are beyond gorgeous. For all the thought and time put into this tour it can now get the credit it deserves and be shared and relived. What I loved about this DVD is that the attention wasn’t just on Leona, of course I love her but the tour was a group effort, it was made possible and made wonderful by Leona, the dancers, the band and the fans and they’re all given their moments. It makes me smile that I get to see so many of my friends happy on this DVD. This DVD confirms that this wasn’t just a tour, a collection of shows, it was a journey, an experience and I’m really glad I was able to be a part of it. As for Leona well where to start? I watch this DVD and then I glance to my wall, see pictures I have of her from years ago, I remember her on X Factor and I smile at where she’s come and how far she’s travelled. Like she says at the end of Run she’s loving every moment of this, Lee is really in her element and when she’s happy it makes me happy, the way she smiles throughout this DVD will make you smile back, she deserves to be happy. I know it may sound cheesy but there’s something just so pure about Leona, there’s always a grace about what she does, whether she’s singing about sadness or pain, or hope or love it’s always real, it’s always lived right there and then. Like on the tour Homeless, for me, is THE performance. The passion, the pain and the loss of the song is channelled through the words and even now I cannot get over the power behind it all and THAT note!!! That vulnerability Leona so easily shows is something I find most endearing, small minded people may comment on her personality but one song and you know her. Too many artists these days make characters, they imagine something or they sing about nothing at all. It might be entertaining but it’s soulless, you leave music no changed a person. Leona’s music isn’t imagined, it’s lived and that is why this tour felt like such an intimate celebration of who she is. I left this tour feeling closer to Leona than ever before and it was all because she let me, everything she does is done with all of her heart. Happy will always be my favourite song, not just of Lee’s, I think everyday I listen to it for that hope I need, and on tour and on here it’s still one of the most striking things I’ve ever witnessed. The song finishes with you feeling so close to Leona because what she sings about is real, how she sings about it is honest and she gives your heart a voice that you were never capable of. With as much passion you also get to see Leona enjoying herself, showing that she is feisty, she is sexy, she can dance and she does deserve to be there. The choreography to Forgive Me, Outta My Head and Take A Bow, the poise in Sweet Dreams and the transformation for They Don’t Care About Us show that there is much more to the Lewis than meets the eye, she can really do anything. She’s a diva and along with the moments of feeling close to her, looking at a real girl singing to, not at, you with her heart, there’s also those moments of seeing a star so fierce you just let it shine. There’s so many amazing moments on this DVD that I couldn’t describe them all, and I have written up 12 tour reviews to keep you going. The only way you can really comprehend the pride I feel as a fan and the love is to watch the DVD yourself and nothing can describe her cute little talking moments that make the geek burst out of me “I got you London!” “It’s snowing in London!”, there’s too many and it’s adorable! Leona’s voice is effortless, again with the cheese I know but she’s gifted like an angel, The First Time (Ever I Saw Your Face) is playing in the background now and she makes perfection look so easy. Leona’s voice doesn’t just go to your ears, it gets under your skin, it gets to your heart.
Run is one of those songs and it’s filmed so beautifully, everything slows down when I watch it and it’s just her and what I love the most is that you can tell it’s as special a moment for Leona as it is for us. The “stars”, the audience as her choir; we’re all in it together, it’s a moment when Leona and her fans come as one and she literally ascends. Every night this moment would overwhelm me, to feel such love for her and to see her smiling back, she captivates thousands of people and it’s like I’ve described before: you look up to her but she doesn’t look down on you. It’s a beautiful, magical moment and she makes you a part of it because, as her sincere thank yous at the end show, she loves her fans maybe as much as we love her ( I say maybe because well, I’m crazy and she’ll never be that). And then there’s Bleeding Love, the finale of a star and a performance so stunning you’re not even sad the show is coming to an end because you’re so lost in the music. I can imagine it would be frustrating to have to wait 4 years to see someone as talented as Leona tour, I’ve been lucky enough to see her live 6 times before the tour, I know some people were still waiting. But if the tour and this DVD shows anything it’s that the wait was more than worth it, it was necessary. I’m not saying that the performances I’ve seen before were anything less than amazing; XF tour, Capital FM, Hackney, Radio2…. but over the years I’ve only seen her grow. She’s always been fantastic but now Leona really starts to believe it too and her confidence makes me smile :) We waited after she won the show and we got Spirit, one of the best albums of our time, we waited for the tour and we got this and I’m so glad the time was taken to do Leona and her voice justice. Leona always makes it worth it. The message inside the DVD case says “This DVD is dedicated to all my fans around the world you have supported me throughout my journey so far without you none of this is possible”. I’m proud of my loyalty to Leona and I’m proud of her loyalty to us all as fans, we’ve all lived an amazing experience together that this DVD beautifully captures. If you went to the tour you HAVE to have this to forever preserve a wonderful night, you are part of Leona history. If you didn’t go you need this to see the true Leona Lewis, the woman whose confidence now begins to match her beauty and talent, the woman we all knew she was but that she’s now ready to show the world. I booked Monday off from work for this DVD, I have 3 days to embrace and live inside this labyrinth but it will always be a part of me. Every time I watch this DVD I get that warm feeling back, I think it’s changed me :) There’s only really one word to describe this tour, and it would have saved me a lot of typing – EPIC. This is the DVD that tells me it all really happened, that it all wasn’t just a wonderful dream. And I like to imagine that maybe when Leona watches this she’ll be thinking the same – Music makes Leona happy, Leona makes me happy, this tour was incredible for both of us. It’s 28 days until Christmas Day and I’ve already got the best present I’ve ever had :) This tour didn’t make a star but it let her shine.
The Labyrinth Tour Live & on DVD By John Messenbird I have been fortunate to see the Labyrinth Tour from both sides of the coin, on DVD of course & live 4 days before the DVD was recorded, during Monday (14th of June) night show. I can say both have their advantages. The Live Show The DVD does a great job at capturing the atmosphere of the night, but just imagine the feelings & the emotions being a thousand times greater. If you can remember that then you was there at the O2 on June the 14th, 2010, or you were at one of the other 19 shows that Leona put on at various venues in the UK & Ireland. Imagine being in the same place as Leona Lewis!!! I drifted in to a dream then all went in to a blur, this not down to drunkenness I only had a couple of ciders in the afternoon with a pub meal for lunch. Sober upon arrival to the O2 Arena but by the end of the night drunk on Leona Lewis. An evening in the company of Leona at an amazing futuristic venue can only be described as a dream come true to any Leona Lewis fan. She took us on a journey of so many musical styles bar Country & Western (Not really a fan of that!), but seriously there was rock classics, techno rock, soul, R&B and pop and even classical music with the ‘Sugar Plum Fairy’ & ballet dancer during one of the costume change breaks . The age group of the audience was so varied, there was people there who were old enough to be my parents & I’m in my 40’s, the other end of the scale saw young children there. Little girls who dreamed of being something like Leona when they grow up & young boys dreaming of marrying Leona when they grow up, I can’t blame them, I would want Leona as my wife! My favourites were ‘The First Time (I Saw Your Face) - This was one amazing song by Roberta Flack from my childhood years that I thought was perfection, Leona made it better! Cry Me A River - Justin Timberland’s song was just mind blowing. Then of course there was Run - A year before saw the brilliant Snow Patrol sing it live at the 2009 iTunes London Festival at Camden’s Roundhouse, sorry Snow Patrol, Leona is a lot better looking LOL. The icing
on the cake was the grand final - the encore, Bleeding Love and ‚London it‘s snowing‘ Leona told the audience It took over half an hour to get to the bus station, just a couple of hundred metres walk, under normal conditions this would take under 5 minutes to walk. Once I got to the bus station there I was greeted with some fantastic organisation by Transport for London (The bus company), I was on the bus in minutes and it was pulling out and on its way to Lewisham. The following day was it a dream? Then I saw the merchandise................... The DVD Technology at its best, re-live that dream. The DVD release was a major event for Leona fans Worldwide. Upon watching it I still can’t believe I was there. The disc brings you closer to Leona, at times its like standing on the stage with Leona. And with the ability to watch it when ever you want to, plus the fact I got snowed in the day after I brought it (I couldn’t get to work) ‚London it‘s snowing‘. I just went into hibernation mode and kept warm with my personal performance by Leona Lewis, with memories of that amazing evening in mid-summer. Yes I say it is your own private Leona Lewis concert in your home and you can carry it to a friend’s house. You are in control watch your favourite moments in repeat mode, but I will say it was favourite moment after favourite moment for 90 minutes. So I better repeat the whole show, it is Leona Lewis after all! Close-ups of Leona, close-ups of the audience. You can be every where at once. Plus the added bonus was a live recording CD, you can re-live on the bus on your iPod. My own little Leona Lewis Labyrinth Tour Concert, I can hold in my hand.
Review by Paulette After 6 months of waiting for this moment, at last I had Labyrinth tour on Blu Ray in my hands. Of course, I was shaking, and dying to tear open the wrapper and be prepared to relive the glorious experience of the tour all over again. But before I allowed myself to do this, there were certain rituals that I had to do, I showed considerable restraint lol, everything had to be perfect. The house was sparkling clean, the champagne was open and poured, and then YES, the moment had come at last. I just sat mesmerised throughout the whole show, of course I laughed, cried, danced, jumped up and down, I actually thought I was back at the tour. The dvd captured everything that was magic about the tour and then found some of delights that I had missed on the tour, and for me to see Leona‘s facial expressions, how she emoted each song, was just so wonderful. I loved the way the dvd panned in and out of the audience, and the look of awe and wonder and joy on the faces just said it all. Everytime the camera showed the huge expanse of the O2, I thought wow, Leona is showcasing her tour to all these thousands of people, and that is just one night! I felt like a proud parent. I was blown away by Leona‘s vocals, stage presence. Everything else including the band, dancers, aerialists, and the backing singers. The staging was indeed magical. I sat entranced through the whole show and forgot to drink my champagne, because I couldn‘t take my eyes of the screen. Every single thing about the dvd was beyond my expectations and they were huge. I cried, particularly when Happy, I See You and Homeless was on, it was so emotional. I just loved the changed up version of Don‘t Let Me Down, and Forgive Me, in fact I could go on forever how everything was just so brilliant. I have now watched the dvd at least 20 times and discover new things at each sitting. If there was one wish I could have, it would be that the world could see this and appreciate how special Leona is.