The title of this tour says it all, Ava Max on tour (finally), and the sold-out crowd tonight were going to enjoy this as they had waited long enough – and they did. In a very polished 20 song set, although there were a few first verse and choruses, complete with dancers and large fake diamonds, in keeping with her new album ‘Diamonds & Dancefloors’, she is a very assured performer. as she toyed and played with the crowd, treating us to a masterclass in dance pop, with hit after hit faultlessly delivered. Even non single album tracks were good enough to be singles, very impressive, and while singing an acoustic ‘One Of Us’, showed that she has more depth than just a pop singer.

Visually the concert was excellent, and you never wanted to take your eyes off the stage in case you missed anything. At one point inviting a member of the audience to go on stage with her to sing ‘Maybe Your The Problem’, but as said before the hits kept coming, ‘My Head My Heart’, ‘Who’s Laughing Now’ and a personal fave ‘Kings and Queens’, with everyone lapping it up. And in what seemed no time at all, it was encore time, with a rousing ‘Sweet But Psycho’, before finishing with a Tiesto cover ‘The Motto’. All in all, was it worth the wait, hell yes it was, and let’s hope that we don’t have to wait too long for a replay. One little question that kept nagging me was why only the Institute, we would have thought that she could have played a larger venue?

Photos by Geoff Griffe
Review by Jenny Griffe