Conor Maynard is back in Oslo, Norway, this time playing at Rockefeller.
Does the name Conor Maynard sound familiar? You might have seen and heard his amazing covers on YouTube. That's how he started out, the first cover was posted back in 2008. His debut album, Contrast, was released in 2012 and hit number one in the UK charts; world tours, awards, and collaborations with some of the industry's biggest names followed. In March 2020, Conor stepped out on his own as an independent artist after being signed to a major label for a decade. "We’ve reached a new age of how people put music out, giving musicians more say. And I wanted to play a part in it. Finally I could shape my career and make music how I liked" he says.
PHOTO BY EMMI SOLLIE
He opens the show at Rockefeller with his rendition of I Want It That Way (Backstreet Boys) and the crowd sing along immediately. Just from the first two songs you can tell it's gonna be a fun show. He takes time to talk and connect with the audience between songs, crack some jokes and he has that classic British humour. He asks if anyone came to the show with their boyfriend/girlfriend or friend, and then continues "If you came here alone, I've got a song for you" as he starts playing Ain't Got No Friends.
Most songs are upbeat and the vibes in the room are immaculate, I even see several venue staff members dancing and singing. He performs mash-ups of songs from several artists including The Weeknd (Blinding Lights), Harry Styles (As It Was), Olivia Rodrigo (good 4 u, drivers license), Rihanna (Diamonds, Umbrella), The Killers (Mr. Brightside), Ne-Yo (Miss Independent), Ed Sheeran (The A Team), The Kid LAROI (Without You, Stay), Green Day (Boulevard of Broken Dreams), A-ha (Take On Me), among others. (The crowd trying to hit the high note in Take On Me was hilarious, by the way.)
While it's an 18+ show, something I notice is that there aren't just people in their 20s here, I see people closer to 40 who are also singing along and clearly enjoying the show. Among all the upbeat dance tunes, he also performs a stripped down rendition of Dance With Somebody (Whitney Houston), his cover of Someone You Loved (Lewis Capaldi), and his own song Crowded Room.
The evening is coming to an end and Conor wraps it up with songs that started it all; Animal, Can't Say No and R U Crazy. With some originals and some cover songs, the concert really took me back to the time when I was 14 and watched everything Conor Maynard on YouTube. What a fun and memorable concert!
CONOR MAYNARD
Rockefeller Music Hall in Oslo, Norway
October 3, 2022
Photographed by Emmi Sollie
by Emmi Sollie
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