More than 1,500 fans turned out to see Croydon’s X Factor stars perform their homecoming gig last night.
Boy band Rough Copy, made up of Sterling Ramsey, Joey Thomas and Kazeem Ajobe, and soloist Hannah Barrett performed in front of a packed Fairfield Halls crowd.
Rough Copy finished fourth in the competition, whilst Hannah was knocked out in the quarter finals.
Mikel Ameen hosted the evening which also featured a performance from dance troupe Peridot UK.
South Norwood singer Hannah Barrett, who went to Archbishop Lanfranc School, sang some of her best songs from the X Factor show including Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah.
Rough Copy’s set also included some of their best X Factor songs. They sang En Vogue’s ‘Don’t Let Go’ and Phil Collins’ ‘In the Air Tonight’.
The band also had the audience on their feet dancing to ‘September’ by Earth, Wind and Fire.
Rough Copy performed two of their own songs, Express Train and Our Love.
The band then teamed up with Hannah Barrett at the end to sing I Believe I can Fly by R Kelly.
Rough Copy perform at Fairfield Halls.
Hannah Barrett and Rough Copy perform duet
Kazeem Ajobe, speaking after the show, said it was fantastic to perform in front of a sell out home crowd.
He said: “It felt great to be in our home town. To look out and see the support we had from people who had braved all sorts of conditions to come and watch us was very humbling.”
Sterling Ramsey added: “It is crazy that when we have come here before we have just filled gaps. But five years later we are headlining with our little sister Hannah Barrett.
“It is just an amazing feeling. We were worrying before the show how things would go but God took care of it. It could not have gone any better.”
On the show selling out in four days, Joey Thomas said he found it unbelievable.
He said: “The whole sold out thing was mad. When they said they had to open another level because tickets were going like crazy that was humbling.
“Who would have thought we would be able to do something like this after all we have been through?
“It is hard to put it into words. It shows that hard work can pay off.” Hannah Barrett said after the show: “I enjoyed it so much. It was great to give something back to our town and our community.
“It was nice to thank them for voting for us. There was such a buzz being on stage and I cannot wait to do it again.
“Everyone thinks bad comes out of Croydon but tonight was all about positivity. We showed Croydon has a good vibe.”
See below for pictures.
Rough Copy
Rough Copy and Hannah Barrett
Dance group Peridot UK
A packed crowd at Fairfield Halls
Hannah Barrett
The Croydon Guardian's Andy Bloss and Hannah Williamson chat to Rough Copy
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