R&B is somewhat of a hit and miss genre nowadays, with a large part of it leaning on the miss side (I prefer to call this watered down, almost unbearable drivel “RnB,” as the tweens like to call it) - I cannot overstate my disdain for the current state of RnB in terms of both the artists and the fans, but it wasn’t always like this, it wasn’t always just one big shallow, awkward joke.

The 90’s were a time when R&B was high quality music, from New Edition and Boyz II Men to Brian McKnight to 112, talented singer-songwriters and skilful quartets were common-place - R&B was a respectable form of soulful music. I yearn for the days when music like this was being produced constantly, these times, it’s too few and far between.

So when R&B artists from yesteryear tour I always have a bittersweet reaction, sweet because I will get to hear those songs which I love in a live setting, bitter because the performances are usually massive disappointments and basically just celebrity karaoke (and their good songs usually get a chorus and maybe one verse).

Enter promotion group Delta Bravo and their admirable desire to provide Australia with some quality, “old-school” R&B performances - the Made in the 90’s tour was born. While the term ‘old-school’ makes me think of R&B acts like The Isley’s, Sam Cooke, and Marvin Gaye; or hip-hop acts like Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, and Run DMC, this tour was being promoted as providing an impressive line-up of ‘old-school’ R&B to fans who rarely get to experience their 90’s idols. This was to serve as a fond reminder of just how good R&B used to be, before anyone knew who T-Pain was, before they started playing Ke$ha in RnB clubs, before it all became a joke.

It was clear that word about the tour spread like wildfire, on entry Luna Park’s Big Top was packed full of that very specific crowd that you would expect to see if you went to an RnB club. An awkwardly placed DJ was doing his thing in the foyer spinning tracks from the likes of Big Pun and Usher. I ignored this and went to watch my first act of the night.

Prinnie

I stepped into the arena and took place close to the stage to watch a support performance from Sydney singer Prinnie Stevens and I was quite pleasantly surprised at how well-rehearsed her short set seemed. Vocally, she has a powerful voice that would place her along contemporaries from the states like Keri Hilson or Keyshia Cole, and unlike the former, Prinnie actually has talent. She filled the set with nice covers of much-loved R&B classics from strong female singers like Janet Jackson (“That’s The Way Love Goes”) and Mariah Carey (“Fantasy”), even throwing in a cover of Jodeci’s “Freak’n You” for good measure. Prinnie closed her set with one of her own songs, “Lion,” and while it’s your typical RnB club jam it was well-written and a lot better than it’s rivals.

DJ Mac served as the main DJ between sets, and though I wasn't really feeling everything he played (I cringe when I hear "Be Faithful") it was nice to hear classics like Johnny Gill’s “The Floor” and Boyz II Men’s “Thank You.”

Horace Brown

Our first 90’s star came in the form of Horace Brown and while you can count the number of hits he had on one hand, he put on a respectable performance and showed off his smooth-as-butter vocals. He started off with his biggest hit “One for the Money” and ended with dance-floor classic “Shake It Up.” Only four songs were performed, perhaps demonstrating how limited his discography is, though a bit longer with him would have been nice.

Allure

Following a lame video of some comedian talking about the 90’s, the quartet-turned-trio Allure hit the stage. Now, although Allure have a very small amount of hits given their 5-album discography, but despite this their biggest hit “All Cried Out” remains one of the most endearing female R&B jams of the late 90’s and the reception when this was performed is a testament to how loved this song is, and how undoubtedly close it is to many females (and maybe guys too) hearts.

Completely taken by surprised, Allure put on a show-stealing performance, displaying their very powerful vocals, their ability to harmonise so beautifully, and their very energetic stage presence.

All the hits were in the set, from “Enjoy Yourself” to “Head over Heels” and even some well-executed covers of classics like The Emotions’ “Best of My Love.” However, it was the aforementioned “All Cried Out” which stole the show, being not just the highlight of the set, but the highlight of the night - it’s just a shame that the song’s performance was much shorter than the actual track, and Slim from 112 wasn’t there to lend his distinctive vocals to make the song complete.

Marques Houston

Singer and actor Marques Houston only fit the theme of the night because he came up as the stand-out member of R&B group Immature in the 90’s, otherwise, his solo stuff only goes back to the early 00’s - all good though because Marques came out with much energy as he got straight into “All Because Of You” and the hit “Pop That Booty.” Coming across as the more contemporary act of the night, Marques Houston delivered what I hoped the night would lack - the overused (and annoying) word “swag.”

As MH performed the Soulja Boy-featuring “Swag Sex” I voluntarily zoned-out until I heard the opening chords of the brilliant “Naked.” I was quickly disappointed though as “Naked” only lasted around 1 minute, which was still enough time for MH to tease the ladies by almost taking off his pants.

The sweet “Favorite Girl” was also given a very short performance, which made the set all the more disappointing - MH did full versions of his try-hard pop tracks while basically just doing the choruses of his best tracks, sadly making his set the worst of the night - though an exception to this was “Clubbin” with MH even rapping Joe Budden’s verse, but even that wasn’t enough to save the set

Ralph Tresvant

The iconic New Edition member was, for many, the main attraction of the night and was without a doubt the most influential figure on the line-up. Back when New Edition was at the top of R&B with hits like “Hit me Off (one of my favourite songs, ever) and “I’m Still In Love With You,” they could not be bested, well, until Boyz II Men came along. Despite the younger generation not really appreciating their wide-spread influence, members of New Edition remain amongst the most respected artists in the genre and the chance to see even one of them live was an honour.

I was initially worried that Ralph’s age may affect the quality of his performance, but by the end of this relatively short display of hits, I was left impressed.

Ralph opened the set with perhaps his best solo träck, “Stone Cold Gentleman” successfully capturing the vibe of the song’s era and displaying some nifty dance moves as well. I was a bit let down by the fact that “Hit Me Off” wasn’t in the set list, but the classic “If It Isn’t Love” made up for it. The icon closed his set with his biggest hit “Sensitivity” while throwing out roses into the crowd, because that’s what sensitive men do.

112

It was my fourth time seeing the brilliant 112 live, the quartet who’s first three albums remain extremely high on my favourites list (especially their first one). I was excited but at the same time a bit weary as I expected a lacklustre set, peppered with only their radio hits, with a few choruses here and there - my expectations were met.

The three remaining original members are all that made it out for this tour, which wasn’t so bad, but if you’re a loyal 112 fan you will always wish Slim was there. The boys came out singing the chorus to their classic “Pleasure & Pain” before segueing into “The Way” and “Let This Go,” both from their most recent album (over 5 years ago).

The first well-known hit came in the form of the Mobb Deep-sampling “It’s Over Now” which was followed by the first venture back to their debut LP - “Only You Remix” while the audience tried to sing a long to Biggie’s classic verse.

The hits didn’t stop there with the female-pleasing “U Already Know” and the sexy “Anywhere.” Ballads started popping up with “Rite Here For U” and the chorus to “That’s How Close We Are.” By this point it seemed like 112 were doing pretty much the same set they did back when they played the Big Top last, in 2005. Again, this was expected, but as a big fan, it was also quite saddening to realise I’ll never see the guys do songs like “Call My Name” or “Funny Feelings.”

112 brought 3 girls up on stage for a bit of serenading but this is when the set took a turn for the worse, their undeniable classic “Cupid” was given a criminally short performance (a bit off-beat as well) - something they got right when they were out here in ‘05. Undoubtedly there were many disappointed fans, but 112 made up for it with their usual tribute to Biggie, culminating in a massive sing-a-long to “I’ll Be Missing You” (perhaps it would have been more effective if they sang “Sky’s The Limit).

The boys from the “A” closed their set with their club hits - “Peaches & Cream” and “Dance With Me,” causing the biggest wide-spread dance-a-thon of the night and leaving us on a positive note. Fairly middle of the road is what the headline set ended up as, but it’s always great to hear good music live, even if the performances aren’t that great.

Set List

Pleasure & Pain (chorus)
The Way
Let This Go
It’s Over Now
Only You (Remix)
U Already Know
Anywhere
Right Here For U
That’s How Close We Are (chorus)
Cupid
Notorious B.I.G Tribute
Peaches & Cream
Dance With Me