Will Young prompts a sea of arm-waving and chorus chanting in the forest

Reality television which is structured around a traditional narrative became somewhat of a cultural phenomenon in the early 2000s, with the surging popularity of high-gloss, high-drama American TV shows such as Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its Hollywood spin-off, The Hills. Cast members became internationally-recognised celebrities overnight and for those that already weren't; millionaires. Doubts were cast as to how 'real' their reality actually was; did Heidi really work at Bolthouse Productions and if so, how did she ever get promoted with all those lunch breaks/apartment viewings? Did Audrina really work at Epic Records and if so, wasn't Chiara the tiniest bit miffed that a receptionist with no prior industry experience was suddenly occupying the booth next to her and getting flowers from Sean Kingston? Lastly, with all the bars and all the clubs in the wider Los Angeles area, how was it possible that Lauren and Heidi always bumped in to each other in the toilet queue at Les Deux? It quickly became apparent that Adam DiVello (Executive Producer) had not only created the concept of the show, but also its characters, which were just that: the innocent, the villain, the temptress, the confidante and the white knight. At least parts of the show had to be real however; Kelly Cutrone really is a high-powered, not-to-be-messed-with Fashion PR figurehead and in my eyes; the only stage prop missing from Will Young's Delamere Forest, Cheshire show this weekend.

With a backdrop of multi-coloured tees and trousers, reminiscent of a typical day doing inventory at People's Revolution, platinum-selling British singer-songwriter, Nerina Pallot took to the stage in casual yet kooky attire that Whitney Port would be proud of. Pallot is a pop-rock singer with an affable, bubbly demeanour which the audience took to with great ease. Accompanied by bass guitar and drums, Pallot performed a handful of tracks from albums such as 'Dear Frustrated Superstar' and 'Fires' as well as an ironic cover of Rihanna's 'Umbrella'; ironic, given the fact that the rain never actually materialised, despite widespread damning weather forecasts.

The audience consisted of a real cross-section of society, with families and young children, teenage friends and golden oldies all in attendance; a true testament to Young's enduring appeal to the British public as a whole. Pallot finished her set with a well-received performance of one of her most popular tracks, 'Put Your Hands Up' from her 2011 album, 'Year of the Wolf.' With the inventory and casting call completed, the main stage catwalk show was in sight and forest green, its main colour trend.

In 2002, Will Young was the first winner of the Idols franchise and therefore created a template for his peers to follow. After selling more than nine million albums, selling out several UK tours and diversifying his portfolio in to theatre, film and TV, it has become clear that this template is not an easy one to follow.

Young took to the stage to rapturous applause, opening his set with three tracks from his third UK number one album, 'Echoes': 'Runaway', 'Come On' and current single, 'I Just Want A Lover.' Young has always performed with consummate ease and he looks like he is enjoying every minute of it, flashing his trademark wide grin at regular junctures. What I didn't necessarily realise was how talented a dancer Young has become. I wouldn't be surprised to hear rumours of Strictly Come Dancing in the coming months. With his Donovan-esque down to earth demeanour and witty repartee, I think Young would be a favourite from the start.

Young thanked the crowd for "being bothered" enough to turn up given the weather predictions and said that this had meant a lot to him and the band. This date was in fact the close of their UK Forest tour, in association with The Forestry Commission. After spotting a rather large banner in the crowd, Young established that it was a girl called Becky's birthday and initiated a sing-a-long of Happy Birthday.

This led to Young confessing that he has three ages: 27 in public, 33 in private and 12 when dancing, then proceeded to twirl in manner of Billy Elliot with a hint of Louis Spence. This drew huge laughter from the crowd, an occurrence that was to become a regular event throughout the show. The atmosphere was one of being amongst friends; such is the easygoing nature of Young. He genuinely appears to be every bit as unassuming as his music videos portray and is clearly able and ever willing to laugh at himself. 'Changes', 'Hearts On Fire' and 'Losing Myself' followed, before Young walked up the moving staircase at the centre of the stage and changed his shirt to one of those already hanging up against the backdrop.

Possibly my favourite Young track followed, 'Who Am I?' which sounded exactly like the recorded version. I had read reviews prior to the show which claimed that Young's vocals were just as pitch perfect live as on his recorded material and this had certainly not been an exaggeration. 'You and I' came next, which is a track taken from his debut and first UK number one album, 'From Now On.' Young interacted with the crowd again at this stage, marvelling at the size and content of various banners and recalling his Dad telling him about '...some rather lovely beach huts' at a recent concert.

Young explained that the beach huts had in fact been portable loos and that his Dad wasn't entirely accustomed to such things. It is this self-deprecating humour that is part of Young's appeal I think - he doesn't take himself too seriously and I think that this is a pivotal quality which endears certain artists to the general public. Young introduced Milton McDonald on lead guitar and Dave on keys, before singing a cover of Ryan Adams' 'Amy'. Crowd favourite 'All Time Love' followed, taken from 2005's 'Keep On'. This prompted a sea of arm-waving and chorus chanting, just as the sun started to disappear behind the clouds and the stage was dressed head to toe in violet hues.

'Light My Fire' came next, the track which arguably propelled Young to the forefront of the Pop Idol live shows. He sounded every bit as vocally impressive as I remember thinking back in 2002 when I first heard the version. 2003's 'Your Game' came next and a homage to James Brown from Young. I think it would be misleading to try to categorise Young's style of music in to one particular genre; he is somewhat of a performing chameleon, having experimented with both pop and dance, whilst maintaining his clean soul lines throughout.

'Grace' or 'that song from the Natwest advert' followed, before a rousing performance of 'Switch It On'; a particular favourite music video of mine, and I suspect most other females in the audience. The shop may be shut ladies, but it doesn't stop you pressing your face up against the glass and having a good look just to be sure, now does it?

'Leave Right Now' followed, from 2003's five times platinum album, 'Friday's Child.' This was a clear crowd favourite and served as a welcome reminder of the stunning quality of Young's back catalogue. As green neon lights flooded the stage, Young performed 'Evergreen', which holds the record for the biggest-selling single of the 2000s to date and the fastest-selling debut single in UK chart history. 'Silent Valentine' and 'Jealousy' came next from Young's latest album and the stage set took on more of an electro-pop feel with green strobe lights and Young showcasing his obvious love and penchant for performance art. After seventeen tracks, Young took a bow before retiring backstage for a short break of just a few minutes. When he returned, he dedicated a touching performance of 'You Don't Know' to the crowd and explained that he had written the track four or five years ago, at a time when he hadn't been particularly happy after a break-up. To the obvious delight of the crowd, Young stated that he was now very happy and that the crowd at Delamere had been the best of all of the forest dates.

Amongst the multi-coloured tees and trousers, Young could have easily been mistaken for an aspiring fashion intern with the world at his feet, happily daydreaming the working day away with thoughts of bright lights, catwalk shows and big cities. As the original Idol and with so many accomplishments in his career to date however, I think that Young was always destined to be more of a (Kelly) Cutrone than a Conrad; frank, fearless and pretty fantastic.

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