Guy Sebastian Madness Tour- Sat 14th Feb BEC.
The Brisbane Entertainment Centre was in intimate mode for Guy Sebastian’s stop on his Madness tour. A cross section of kids and teenagers, both alone and with parents in tow, are in abundance. A very healthy number of adults, who I suspect have grown with Sebastian since his career started on Australian Idol in 2003, also make up the audience tonight.
The show opens with a single spotlight shining on Sebastian on an otherwise dark stage. He belts out the title track of his new album and I am immediately struck by how confident and assured he looks and sounds. His voice rings out over the arena, washing over the audience, some immediately standing and moving along with the groove.
Sebastian shares the stage with an eight piece band and three back up singers/dancers. The massive projections on the screens behind the stage and onto the steps upon it show that this is a major production.
Tonight’s performance is basically divided into three distinct sets. The first hour being the majority of the Madness album, with Twenty-Ten’s Who’s That Girl thrown in for good measure. Girl, with it’s funky electro R&B groove is a chance for Sebastian to show some dance moves and he has the crowd up and dancing, singing and waving with their phones in the air. His voice is just gold and he is one of those vocalists that could sing almost anything. This is why after almost an hour of predominantly playing an R&B, hip hop mish- mash I am wishing he’d mix it up a bit.
Imagine the Sunrise fulfils my wish. Written after one of Sebastian’s hospital visits to sick children, it is a pure pop folk song and indeed shows his versatility with some excellent acoustic guitar self accompaniment and a single cello playing beautifully simple lines.
The Pause sees the Madness style back again but as soon as that tune is finished the singer leaves the stage.
A quick costume change and Angels Brought me Here, complete with projections from the Australian Idol days, shows how far he has progressed both as a singer, a songwriter and performer.
All I Need Is You starts a series of old hits that brings the whole crowd to its feet. Sebastian certainly has grown an audience. Elevator Love lifts the roof off the venue and turns the BEC into a rocking dance club. Like It Like That is a set highlight and is just one of the catchiest songs I have ever heard. It is wonderfully good songwriting. Sebastian really seems to let loose and enjoy this soulful, playful pop style and it really shows his voice in full flight. It is also clearly very popular with the diversely aged crowd.
After the band intros, the singer again exits briefly. Alive begins the third bracket of songs that brings the show to its conclusion. It is a really uplifting positive song with a very poppy sing along chorus. The audience stay on their feet for Linger, which has such a soulful vocal that I wonder why it hasn’t been an international hit.
A stirring Martin Luther King speech fills the projection screens and leads to big hit, Battle Scars. Sebastian pulls every ounce of soul and emotion he can muster from his voice for this song and it is the stand out performance of the evening.
Mama Ain’t Proud brings the rap/hip hop flavour back and Gold is the perfect set closer with its fast Motown soul groove getting even the grandmother in front of me dancing and clapping along.
Sebastian put on an excellent show tonight, and with a fan base that transcends age brackets that is no simple task.
Words: Craig L Thomson.
