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We’ve already talked about Ariana Grande’s moving and fitting performances with Black Eyed Peas, Chris Martin and Miley Cyrus in attempt to restore the peace that was taken away in the Manchester attacks with live music.
Continuing this sentiment was some of Grande’s dearest friends. Next to her, Justin Bieber got the biggest reception from the crowd upon his arrival onto the stage. “Thanks so much for having me tonight, you guys are so brave,” he addressed the crowd, guitar slung across his shoulder. “What an amazing thing we’re doing tonight, would you not agree? Would you agree that love always win?
“There is no better way to fight evil than to fight evil with love, would you guys agree with that? It’s an honour for me to be here.” – Justin Bieber
But the most powerful thing he did – perhaps in a long time – was start a “love” chant in the crowd before screaming “Love always wins in the end” and breaking into his Cold Water hit track.
Pharrell, too, made a powerful entrance. “I don’t see any fear in his building,” he said. “Because despite all the things that have been going on in this place, I don’t feel or smell or hear or see any fear in this building. All we feel tonight is love, resilience, positivity.” He and Cyrus then performed his global hit Happy.
We always knew Robbie Williams’s Angels would crack us. The 43-year-old larrikin-come-family man (with a Justin Bieber Purpose world tour hoodie on) performed to the 26,000 strong-crowd in a show to rival one from his early 2000s days in Kbebworth. While Williams would have performed this track hundreds of times, this one seemed to really unsettle him, the musician becoming very emotional and the crowd stepping in to help him out.
Sitting alongside their American counterparts, Little Mix weren’t the biggest name on the bill. But being U.K. born-and-bred and having such a close connection to the British people, the girls performed a perfectly harmonised rendition of their first smash hit single Wings.
One Love Manchester will air for Australian audiences tonight, Monday 5 June, 8.40pm on channel nine.
Katy Perry – Roar
Justin Bieber – Love Yourself
Pharrell Williams and Miley Cyrus – Happy
Robbie Williams – Angels
Little Mix – Wings
Ariana Grande – Somewhere Over The Rainbow
