All aboard the Ri Ri express!
What happened when GLAMOUR went on tour with Rihanna!
Rex FeaturesRihanna’s 777 tour day seven: New York
So we finally make it to Newark Airport, and, after the horror of the cabin crew trying to get us seated after Rihanna’s impromptu appearance five minutes before the wheels hit Tarmac and the sheer exhilaration of finally reaching the end of the mammoth journeys, someone on the plane starts chanting “USA, USA”.
“It’s like the end of camp”, one American journalist notes, as the rest of us stagger off the plane and into daylight for the first time on the trip. It feels like an enormous novelty to have some time in NY to explore the city and, while my UK compadres head to 1Direction world, I head straight to Duane Reade to stock up on remedies for the Rih-lurgy that the sleep-deprived plane dwellers have caught and spread over the last week. Rihanna, is apparently doing an album signing at a branch of Best Buy close to our hotel. I’m afraid we don’t go. It’s later reported she turns up way later that the advertised 4pm time.
Rex FeaturesRihanna’s 777 tour day seven: New York
However, we do go to The Spotted Pig, the restaurant owned by Jay Z and Bono, and over scallops and Philadelphia sours, it all starts to feel worth it. A definite highlight of the trip.
After that, it’s straight to the final gig at Webster Hall, where rumours abound that Jay-Z or Kanye are going to make an appearance on stage. It turns out that neither do, but Jay-Z is spotted in the crowd. Which links well with tonight’s after-party, as it’s held in Jay’s 40/40 nightclub. RiRi sweeps in at about 1am and is ushered straight into a back room. We catch a glimpse of her on the way through, which summarises the whole trip.
From the start, we were told that it was unlikely that we would get one on one time with RiRi, and, contrary to some reports, no one was expecting to be sitting up front with Rihanna while necking shots of cognac, but her continued absence from sight has been disappointing. The odd Tannoy announcement, or just one press conference would have made all the difference. However, that’s not to say we haven’t had a good time. I’ve laughed a lot. I’ve drunk a lot. And I’ll look back on the whole thing as a brilliant, if surreal experience. Just as soon as I get some sleep.
Rex FeaturesRihanna’s 777 tour day six: London
At a wearisome 5am we get to Stansted from Berlin, and, as we're back on home turf, the UK contingent of the 777 rollercoaster gets to go home rather than transferring to the hotel. Call it a positive mental attitude borne of three hours sleeping in my own bed, rather than on a plane, or just call it bias (I am clearly biased), but the London show turns out to have the best atmosphere yet.
Along with a smattering of popstrels and celebs (Alexandra Burke, Lawson, Grimmy and Henry Holland), the crowd at The Forum in Kentish Town seems raucous and animated, and, perhaps due to the international live streaming facilitated by River Island, doesn't have to wait long for the lady herself to grace the stage.
In a nod to the location, Rihanna’s wearing a very cute slouchy hand printed suit by Westminster grad Ashley Williams, although underneath there's another of the bra tops she's been loving so far on this tour, this time a “hawt” leopard print number.
Rihanna’s 777 tour day six: London
A few hours later, we're back at Stansted, battling another ludicrously long delay. The after-party finishes at 1am so we wait at the Grosvenor Hotel until 3am to transfer to the airport. At 7, it looks like we're going to start boarding. At 8am, while we're in a stationary 45 minute-queue in a corridor, guitarist Nuno offers some light relief by leading a sing song of Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life. Once finally on the plane, another joker produces a “Missing” poster of Rihanna, which sums up the frustration of the press, well documented now, of Ri's continued absence from sight on the plane.
Rex FeaturesRihanna’s 777 tour day six: London
But, what's this! Ten minutes before we land, lo, Rihanna herself parks herself in economy and answers a few questions.
“This has been an experience every day, my sleeping was all done on this plane," she says, "I didn't get to spend as much time as I would have liked with you guys. I know you're tired as well.”
"Thank you everybody for making this trip the shit, honestly."
Rihanna’s 777 tour day six: London
And she's obviously seen the coverage, telling us: "I have to pay attention to myself. I can't just go and go and go. This time I had to sleep. Usually I would be back there partying my balls off but this time I had to pay attention, take care of my health. We're on a plane all the time. So many people, no rest, no voice, seven shows in a row."
In sunglasses, a Rihanna beanie and a green jacket [nb same one she had on when she landed at Stansted], she did look tired, but the singer manages to raise a cheeky joke, adding. "I would do it again, but I'd sit back here so I can see the naked Australian next time."
Told you everyone loves a streaker.
Rihanna’s 777 tour day five: Berlin
So things have taken a rather, erm, interesting turn. Rihanna’s performance at E-Werks in Berlin was fierce once she actually took to the stage (her tardiness was not appreciated by the German audience, who started booing when, 90 minutes after showtime came and went, there was still no sign of the singer), in a leather bra top and shorts and a string vest with a cannabis leaf on it. She soon won over the crowd with a full set of hits that was sounding slick, and gave her new ballad Stay another outing.
Rihanna’s 777 tour day five: Berlin
But back on flight 777 there’s a pervading atmosphere of frustration among the press who haven’t had a ‘candid’ Rihanna plane moment since Toronto.
This spills over during the flight from Berlin to London when a cheeky Aussie reporter, who I had been chatting to just before the flight in the terminal building (he was fully clothed then, I hasten to add), decides to stage a naked protest by streaking up and down the aisles. Well, it’s a naked protest or an elaborate jape designed to give the press something to write about.
Either way, it incites some other journalists and broadcasters to start chanting ‘Save our jobs’ and ‘Just one quote’ in attempt to spur Rihanna into making an appearance. It fails, but management are amused-slash-anxious enough to stand at the front of the section and monitor the chaos, while instructing the cabin crew to hand out cognac. You can have a look here, if Aussie streakers are your thing (let’s face it, streakers are always funny)
God knows what the poor competition winners think of all this! Luckily, an hour and half later we touch down in London. Home turf gig tonight, before the last show in New York on Tuesday.
Rex FeaturesRihanna’s 777 tour day four: Paris
"I've got one phone to give away. One. How do you say “one” in French?"
The crowd starts screaming back “un”.
"haha! exactly!"By day 4 I'm well used to the nightly phone giveaway but the Parisian crowd in Le Trainon cheer as Rihanna ponders who to pick tonight. Although really, the 1500 people in the venue are all winners; word on the street is that 3000 attempted to get tickets.
Rihanna’s 777 tour day four: Paris
By now, we have done A LOT of waiting for RiRi (even the amount of time we spend sitting on the plane before take-off is a couple of hours at this point and has become a running joke among the press and fans) but a “hard curfew” is in place in the venue in France, which means tonight the gig has started a mere half an hour late.
Rex FeaturesRihanna’s 777 tour day four: Paris
Decked out in a fierce combo of a Givenchy T-shirt worn as a dress and thigh high boots, tonight she throws in another new album track along with the usual crowd faves. However, the set only runs to 45 minutes and she has to skip an entire acoustic section in order to finish before the 10.30 kicking-out time.
WennRihanna’s 777 tour day four: Paris
But tonight it's all about the after-party anyway as rumours abound about her famous friends being in town. We head to Le VIP room Theatre Paris and of course, wait. We've been taking full advantage of the free bar for about three hours when Rihanna strolls in and there's a raucous outpouring of excitement when we clock that she has Diddy, Pharrell, and Akon in tow.
Rihanna’s 777 tour day four: Paris
Rihanna’s 777 tour day four: Paris
Diddy looks impressed when Kanye's remix of Rihanna's current single, Diamonds, drops, and Rihanna chats it up with singer Cassie in-between dancing. Meanwhile a steady stream of sparkler-topped bottles of Dom Perignon are being delivered to their gang.
Rihanna’s 777 tour day four: Paris
We've cumulatively had about six hours sleep since Toronto, two days ago, but no one wants to go home while RiRi's still partying. There should be a word for the perpetual state of exhaustion and hangover involved in touring with Rihanna. Rhi-hypnoled? Whatever it is, we all have it. At 4am Rihanna and co call it a night. Diddy jumps into a car in front of the venue so that's our cue to do the same. Au revoir Paris, we've got a flight to Berlin to catch.
Rex FeaturesRihanna’s 777 tour day three: Stockholm
When she finally turned up at 11.30 she was decked out in a HOT outfit of high-waisted denim hot pants, a white t shirt (sans bra, distracting to say the least!) and a mahoosive gold Chanel chain.
Rex FeaturesRihanna’s 777 tour day three: Stockholm
Stockholm saw the first of the after-parties, in the basement of the Berns (which comes complete with dancefloor, bars, VIP area and sex shop - of course it does), and RiRi herself made an entrance at 4am, before quickly seeing to it that the fans were fed enough shots to make the endless plane and coach rides seem worth it. She spent about 45 minutes chatting and drinking with the competition winners who seemed happy that she lives up to her party-hard reputation, especially when she grabbed a bottle of tequila and announced 'don't talk, just drink.' Luckily, for the first time in two days, we actually got to sleep in a hotel room instead of on the plane. Well, for about three hours. Onward, á Paris!
* the small bit of irony is: we all got given a watch in the 777 tour goodie bag we received on the plane on day 1
Rihanna’s 777 tour day two: Toronto
Before today I couldn't have been more excited about the prospect of jetting around to seven different cities, but today is when the slightly less glamorous reality of what it's like to be a touring artist kicks in. OK, so Rihanna is flying first class while us - the entourage to her entourage - are seated firmly in economy, but even those that turn left on the plane land in Mexico in the dark and go directly to the gig venue, before leaving straight afterwards for a six-hour flight to Canada. It's morning, but after grabbing some food and a shower it's pretty much time to head to the Danforth Music Hall for gig number two. Aside from driving past the CN Tower we really could be anywhere. It's exhausting, and we only have to watch. Rihanna actually has to perform.
Rihanna’s 777 tour day two: Toronto
Tonight, as we get to the secret venue, word has clearly spread and a mass of fans and police are surrounding the building. Loads of other people are wondering what's going on. She hits the stage at 9.30, which is only 90 minutes late (we're fast learning that the tour schedule is more of a 'guideline'), in a khaki combo of parachute style culottes and jacket with a white bra top underneath. The Canadian crowd make A LOT of noise and one fan is rewarded with a free phone by tour sponsors HTC. The set is pretty much the same, with a few song changes thrown in (including Love the Way you Lie) but RiRi seems like she's hitting her stride, stomping around the stage in heels and talking to the crowd. The 'ad-libs' may be the same ("It's been too long [insert city name here]" before launching into Wait Your Turn) but she's having a good time. As the band keeps playing the last notes of We Found Love she launches herself onto a security guard's shoulders and disappears out of the side fire exit into a waiting car. The journalist's hastily leg it to their coaches. We've got a(nother) flight to catch. Stockholm beckons.
Rihanna’s 777 tour day one: Mexico City
“Is everyone ready for Mexico? Is everyone ready for tequila?” The plane erupted with cheers as Rihanna made the captain’s announcement on her 777 tour party plane. First stop Mexico City from Los Angeles.
Rihanna’s 777 tour day one: Mexico City
And after we took off, Rihanna made good on her word, roaming the aisles of the specially chartered Boeing 777 plane and handing out booze to the passengers, made up of 150 international journalists, her personal touring crew, and competition winners who have won the chance to see her play 7 gigs in 7 countries in 7 days.
Rihanna’s 777 tour day one: Mexico City
Goodie bags waited for us on the seats (Rihanna flight socks anyone?), then her new album, Unapologetic (well this ludicrously jetset trip is to celebrate its release) started pumping out over the plane’s intercom system and any sense of aircraft protocol went out of the window as people started dancing in the aisles.
Rihanna’s 777 tour day one: Mexico City
After touchdown in Mexico it was straight to the gig, with Rihanna hitting the stage in a boxing-inspired Adidas outfit to romp through a medley of her greatest hits so far, as well as new single Diamonds.
Rihanna’s 777 tour day one: Mexico City
But forget celebrating the end of the first show with margaritas – it was straight back to the plane for the four-hour flight to Toronto. RiRi was last spotted at Toronto airport in an Adidas trackie and hot pink cap grabbing her own luggage from the carousel, and heading to the hotel. Round 2 is tonight. Watch this space.
