The many colours of Katy

TEEN FANS of American pop/dance singer Katy Perry got up close and personal with their idol on Thursday night as the best-selling artist graced Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani with her debut concert here on the Prismatic World Tour. 

The hall was packed to near sold-out with young fans – and their parents – as well as adult followers of Perry, many of whom dressed up in elaborate gear to emulate the singer known for her colourful music videos. Paper prismatic glasses were handed out at the gates, adding to the excited vibe that had the auditorium humming. 

After a short performance by opening act The Doll, Perry, clad in a glittery gladiator-inspired costume, appeared on stage with “Roar”, a recent mega-hit from her latest album “Prismatic”. The singer then segued into “Part of Me” and “Wide Awake” before taking the audience back to ancient Egypt with visuals of Egyptian ruins, the desert and pyramids projected on the big screens.

The Egyptian stint kicked off with her recent hit, “Dark Horse” on a stage littered with Mesopotamian details and motifs and the singer wrapped in gold and diamonds. To the delight of the fans, Perry also brought the “horse” manned by two dancers out onto the stage then wrapped the segment with her breakthrough hit “I Kissed a Girl” from her 2008 sophomore album “One of the Boys”. 

Clad in a cat suit that would have done the Pink Panther proud, Perry kicked off the “Cat-Oure” section of a show to a video of cartoon cats having a grand time in Hollywood. “Hot ’n’ Cold” was presented with “Cats” flair and her dancing kitties marched along the runway and posed for the cameras as the singer performed “International Smile” and a cover of Madonna’s “Vogue”.

As Perry prepared to enter the acoustic segment of her show, she called two teen fans in shark suits up to the stage to teach her some Thai phrases and take selfies. Now dressed in a sunflower dress complete with a rainbow-coloured wig, she belted out heartfelt ballad versions of “By the Grace of God”, “The One That Got Away” and “Unconditionally” with fans singing along at the top of their lungs. 

A short break boomed with a medley of dance, pop, disco and hip-hop tunes, and the show entered the last stint, “Hyper Throwback”. Perry, now in a neon mini skirt and with green hair, reappeared on stage with “Walking on Air” and “This is How We Do/ Last Friday Night (TGIF)”. Another lucky fan, meticulously dressed in an outfit and hair that matched the singer’s, was invited up on stage for a jam, and, yes, another selfie. The show ended with “Teenage Dream” and “California Gurls”, with fans screaming “Katy, Katy!” for the singer to reappear.

Fans were instructed to put on the glasses for “Fireworks” as Perry returned to the stage in a voluminous gown against background visuals of exploding fireworks. The prismatic glasses really did add a trippy effect to the stunning visuals and added to the already impressive colour of the show. 

One of the most impeccably designed productions Bangkok has seen in terms of lighting, visual effects and colour coordination, the concert was visually engaging and held the attention even during the several short breaks for costume changes. 

The show also proved that Perry is more than a decent singer as well as a fun, quirky entertainer. Thanks to her background in gospel and country music, she was able to lend her vocals beautifully to the computer enhanced dance/pop tunes, giving them an organic interest way over the canned pop.