The ‘hologramification’ of Whitney Houston is far from perfect, but serves as an outlet for audiences eager to celebrate her legacy

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Are hologram tours ‘music’s final frontier‘ as Rolling Stone magazine once suggested? Honestly, I’m not sure.

The phenomenon of watching musical legends realised digitally on stage is certainly gaining traction. Previous hologram concerts for Roy Orbison and Frank Zappa have been met with broadly positive reception (with a degree of confusion and befuddlement granted) and impressive commercial performance. The argument often advanced in their favour is that such concerts can provide the closest approximation to seeing these late legends live in the flesh. Of course, there have been many voices questioning the authenticity and appropriateness of the experience.

Yet, the Whitney Houston iteration of this burgeoning trend – finishing its UK tour at the Eventim Apollo last night – has come under particular fire. Perhaps the fact that she died only eight years ago, and under such tragic circumstances, is a contributing factor behind this. A lot of the criticism has been directed at Pat Houston, Whitney’s sister-in-law and champion of the hologram tour alongside Base Hologram, for ‘commercialising’ the memory of her late sister-in-law.

It’s worth delineating between the concept and the execution. As much as one can scoff at the thought of a digital avatar lip syncing to ‘Greatest Love of All’, is the notion radically different from a tribute act donning a wig and gown? Perhaps not.

The execution is where the naysayers have more ground. Does the hologram reflect Whitney’s appearance? Tenuously. Though based around her general likeness, it’s spindly, truncated, and glossy, with rote movements and patchy lip-syncing. But, from the view of the circle at least, one can entertain the spectacle. A few proseccos in the system also helps. (Interestingly, the audience in the stalls seemed much more muted than in the circle; perhaps the distance allowed for easier suspension of disbelief?)

To claim that the hologram (in its current form) could be an adequate substitute for the real thing is, quite frankly, bogus. Did last night’s event reflect the experience of seeing Whitney live? No, and perhaps over-zealous marketing is to blame if audiences went in expecting futuristic tech à la Doctor Who. But, from my seat, the London audience seemed to take the proceedings in good faith, treating the night as a chance to simply revel in the gloriousness of Whitney’s catalogue – from early pop hits (‘How Will I Know’), to the smash ballads born from The Bodyguard soundtrack (‘I Have Nothing’, ‘I Will Always Love You’), and to later, more R&B-flavoured cuts (‘My Love Is Your Love’, ‘It’s Not Right, But It’s Okay’).

There is definitely something in the formula. The high points of the concert were when the live band – frustratingly hidden behind various screens – was drawn upon to ‘add value’ to the material. The gorgeous saxophone solo which began ‘Saving All My Love For You’ and the electric guitar outro to ‘I Will Always Love You’ come to mind. When combining that with previously unheard live vocals – as per the rendition of ‘I Have Nothing’ – the concert was able to offer something more immediate and special. When the arrangements were largely untouched and the hologram lip-synced to studio vocals (admittedly, some outtakes), the event could not help but descend into an audience singalong.

But a well-intentioned singalong. With effusive cheering and applause (and the occasional ‘I love you Whitney!‘), Londoners turned out in droves to the Eventim Apollo to celebrate their reverence and adoration for one of the world’s greatest vocalists. And that can’t be a bad thing.

Image copyright: Base Hologram