Will Smith ‘hyped’ to perform in Wolverhampton

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Susie RackBBC News, West Midlands

Kevin Tasker Will Smith in a white T-shirt and open blue baseball shirt with West Phil on it, and wearing a red baseball cap slightly twisted to the right. He is on stage and has his right hand raised in the air. He looks a little out of breath and sweaty. The stage behind him is backlit in red.Kevin Tasker

Will Smith said he was hyped to perform in Wolverhampton for the first time

Fans have hailed a sold-out Wolverhampton gig by Hollywood actor and Grammy-winning artist Will Smith as “amazing”.

Smith performed at University of Wolverhampton at the Halls on Saturday as part of his Based on a True Story tour.

Shakina Stewart from Oldbury described him as a “legend” and said: “Everyone [was] singing and dancing and loving it. Will was full of so much energy, smiling, laughter.”

The rapper told the crowd he was “so hyped” to be in Wolverhampton and that it was his first time performing there. In a post on his Facebook page, he later wrote: “Crowd was poppin’ tonite!!”

Posting on Instagram, the venue shared pictures and videos from the event and said: “The Fresh Prince is in the house”, in reference to the actor’s 90s TV role.

Ms Stewart, who watched the gig with her mum and sisters, said Smith performed classics such as Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It, Miami and Wild Wild West, with a “Will-flix” video montage showing his career highlights to date.

Shakina Stewart A woman in orange top and jeans in dark glasses, posing in a corridor with two women and two men in dark suits, black ties, white shirts and dark glasses.Shakina Stewart

Shakina Stewart managed to get a selfie with Will Smith’s backing dancers

“He’s literally been around for me since I was a child and even my son who’s 11 and he’s watched the more recent live-action Aladdin,” Ms Stewart added. “It was really just seeing this legend before your eyes.

“That’s definitely something that will stick with Wolverhampton for ever and ever now.”

The 40-year-old even managed to take a selfie with backing performers dressed in suits and ties for Men in Black when she nipped out to the loo.

“Men in Black is literally one of my favourite Will Smith songs ever, so before I left the house I was like, I need to get my black glasses,” she said.

Kevin Tasker A group of six people - three women and three men - standing outside the University of Wolverhampton at the Halls, a building with large stone white columns. Two are wearing Bel Air Academy baseball vest, two others black Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff t-shirts, and one a Wild Wild West black t-shirt. They are all smiling and some have hands raised in v-signs.Kevin Tasker

Kevin Tasker, pictured left, said he and friends had been fans of the rapper and former sidekick DJ Jazzy Jeff for decades

Videographer Kevin Tasker, who has been a fan since he was in his teens, travelled from Kettering to watch the show.

“It was like a proper 90s throwback; a lot of people dressed up. It was kind of like a festival vibe,” he said. “Everyone got hyped and everyone was rapping the Fresh Prince lyrics.”

He described the gig as “a bit of a redemption show” for Smith, who was banned from the Oscars for 10 years in 2022 after hitting comedian Chris Rock on stage.

“I think for him to be in a room with a few thousand people that love him, it was good for him to see that,” he added. “He was in his element.”

Kevin Tasker Actor and rapper Will Smith holding a red microphone and gesticulating to a backdrop, which has a picture of James Avery, who played Uncle Phil in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.Kevin Tasker

Smith paid tribute during the show to James Avery, his Fresh Prince co-star, who died in 2014

The tour follows Smith’s first full-length album in 20 years, Based on a True Story, which was released in March.

He started the UK leg in Scarborough, and has since entertained crowds in Cardiff, Manchester and London.

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