JLS took to the stage at Leeds’ First Direct Arena last week, and the nostalgic wave that hit the crowd was incredible.
JLS are no strangers to adoring crowds around the UK, so last week was no different when they stepped on to the stage in Leeds at the First Direct Arena (20/11/25).
The four members, Aston Merrygold, Oritsé Williams, JB Gill and Marvin Humes, made an impressive entrance before going straight into their chart-topping hit The Club Is Alive. Spoiler – the whole tour is named after this timeless classic due to it reaching 15 years old in 2025. Their entrance was an unforgettable one, solely due to Aston appearing on crutches, not that this stopped him or the band from giving a solid performance.
After singing through a string of their popular hits, the crowd was certainly warmed up, if they hadn’t been already by their brilliant support act, Example. The energy in Leeds was electric. If you’ve been to the First Direct Arena in Leeds, you’ll know that it was built for fans and is in a semi-circle so no matter what seat you’re in, you feel close to the artist performing. I feel like you can always tell all the fans in that arena do really feel part of the show, the energy is always incredible and at JLS, this was no different.
JLS then let their fans choose which song they wanted to hear next, another fantastic tactic used to make the audience feel a part of the show. They were super interactive with the crowd in between their slick dance routines and unbelievable vocals, it was lovely to watch the crowd feel even closer to them. The fans ultimately chose That’s My Girl, a much-loved track from their second album Outta This World, much to other fans’ disappointment (including me!) who wanted them to sing Only Tonight from their self-titled debut album.
Oritsé then addressed the ‘Day Ones’ in the crowd before kicking off a medley of throwback songs. Aston, JB, Marvin and Oritsé sang through snippets from eight different fan favourites, expanding all of their albums (other than Evolution). It was amazing for all of us OG fans to hear them sing these songs live, as these songs often have been overlooked by casual fans or on setlists. It was a clever way to slot these songs in for hardcore JLS fans to enjoy while also introducing them to newer fans.
The foursome then continued through their powerful set, proving how many smash hits they actually have. One that really lit the arena up was She Makes Me Wanna. Of course, there is the dance that was recently made mainstream again by none other than Sam Thompson. JLS really used this to their advantage and displayed on the screens how to follow the dance, before Sam Thompson showed up on the visuals to teach the crowd. Cameras were then deployed around the arena so the crowd could showcase their moves before JLS came on to dance and sing along with them.
Following this was an incredible DJ set, which felt like stepping into a night club. It felt more like a night out than a concert, which I didn’t see as a bad thing. Marvin and Aston took turns in DJ’ing some top club tunes, while JB and Oritsé ran around the arena interacting with fans. It really hyped the crowd up, the energy was running even higher after this set. Marvin is already an established DJ, playing daily on Kisstory and also playing clubs in Ibiza, as well as a touring DJ show known as ‘Noughties Baby’. Aston is also making a name for himself on the DJ scene, incorporating them into his own solo shows.
Once the DJ set finished, the group got back to singing their catchy tunes before leading into their encore with arguably one of their most popular songs, Beat Again. It was an interesting show considering Aston wasn’t dancing (or back flipping!) but honestly, it was still incredible and Marvin, JB and Oritsé did an outstanding job of making sure you didn’t even clock Aston wasn’t also dancing. All four of their energies were completely unmatched, it didn’t make a difference whatsoever.
As with most encores, the crowd chanted for their return and return did they! For the second last to song, they sang Proud, which was the official Sport Relief single way back in 2012. All of their vocals while singing this were insane, they really proved that first and foremost they are vocalists. Looking around, people were in tears and others were hugging, the song created a beautiful sense of belonging. It is what being a fan is all about, and it was amazing to see how just one song and four stunning voices could bring people together.
Finally, they sang Everybody In Love, the one everyone had been waiting for! Whether you’re a JLSter or not, you’ve got to admit this song still slaps after all this time. Seeing everyone singing along with their hands in the air, and not many phones because everyone was enjoying it, was quite special.
The closing of the show was just as unforgettable as the intro was. Marvin jumped into the stage, followed by Oritsé, then JB and then Aston who thanked the crowd and fell into the stage (after his crutches!). A closing just as dramatic to match the opening, I loved it!
All in all, JLS always put on the most incredible shows. (I’m aware that I’m slightly bias as they are my favourite band!) Regardless of that, if you ever get the chance to see them live, you must go! I’ve took family members and friends to see them before who weren’t fans, but left as a fan. This tour will do that to you. It is definitely an opportunity to step back in time and relive the absolute peak of JLS.
More of our images from ‘The Club Is Alive’ Tour can be found here.
Featured image is my own image.
FOR THE FANS 