REVIEW: Bruno Mars, live at Nottingham Arena

Hawaiian-born Bruno (real name Peter Hernandez) storms on stage promising a “good damn time” and judging by the reaction of the 10,000 strong Arena Crowd on Tuesday night - he’s a man true to his word.

With a nod to Michael Jackson and James Brown, Mars mixes urban reggae with catchy pop, and with three number ones and a Grammy under his belt by the age of 25, it seems he’s at the top of his game.

Despite having released his debut album only last year, singer-songwriter Bruno has no shortage of material to please the young crowd.

He not only exhibits tracks from his own album Du-Wops and Hooligans, but also takes the audience on a tour through appearances he has made on other artist’s records, including B.O.B’s Nothin on You and Travie McCoy’s Billionaire.

Overplayed yet anthemic tune The Lazy Song gets this energetic audience on their feet. Mars achieves near-perfect harmonies with his band The Hooligans, who performed tonight minus the famous gorilla masks from the video, to the disappointment of many.

Number one hits Grenade and Just The Way You Are showcase a vocal range MJ would be proud of and add a depth of intensity to songs that could be in danger of sounding soulless in a lesser singer’s hands.

Concluding ballad Talking to the Moon shows a darker side to Mars’ usual upbeat style which doesn’t quite suit the clean cut American image he has become known for.

However his pitch-perfect vocals coupled with accompanying piano provided a perfect end to the set.

Mars’ song writing skills may not be ground-breaking, but his energy and classic style bring accessibility to the pop genre.

His astounding voice and soulful melodies are sure to convince you that pop music is still worth a listen. Even if you’re not a 12-year old girl.

By Beth Hewitt