Olly Murs
16.11.13 Brisbane Convention Centre
You remember in school how there was that one kid who could get away with anything? The cheeky, witty schoolboy who could shoot a spit ball or get busted passing notes but with a charming ‘sorry miss’ and a quick wink gets out of trouble faster than he landed himself in it? I have the feeling that Olly Murs may well have been the roguish troublemaker, the class clown of his year – and there seems to have been no growing up as of yet.
Shooting to fame in 2008 by coming second in UK’s ‘The X Factor’ (a loss he bitterly jokes about whilst performing a cracking rendition of ‘Superstition’ halfway through the set), Olly has grown comfortably into his own infectious groove.
Opening with hit ‘Army of Two’, he showed a talent not only for distinct, smashing vocals but also gifts of rhythm – his dancing is certainly something to behold (even indulging in a spot of twerking would you believe). He runs around like a child who’s had too much sugar, thrashes his legs about and gyrates his hips much to the ladies delight – again, naughty but can get away with anything.
Touring his album ‘Right Place, Right Time’, Brisvegas or ‘Brissy’ as he affectionately calls it was the last stop on the whirlwind tour. Not that he’s lost any of his gusto, grooving his way through ‘Personal’ and ‘I’ve Tried Everything’ before hitting the first real high note of the evening with new single ‘Hand On My Heart’. Urging the crowd to light up their phones, there was a real aura of magic as Olly belted his favourite (funny, all the songs seem to be the favourite) – before switching to the more upbeat ‘Hey You, Beautiful’ and ‘I’m Ok’, his lyrical FU to an ex-lover that went straight to number one.
Olly’s style seems to fluctuate – I suppose you’d classify it as pop but there’s no denying his funky undertones. He’s a little bit Robbie but not quite, a little bit Stevie but not quite – definitely some Will Young in there, but Olly’s cheeky energy is what defines him. And an insatiable eye for the ladies – one audience member even gleefully parted with her bra. Serenading with ‘Oh My Goodness’, ‘Please Don’t Let Me Go’ and ‘Skip A Beat’, it’s clear Olly’s certainly got a little extra love for his female fans, and they certainly don’t skimp on their reciprocation – I myself hadn’t braced myself for the amount of screaming normally associated with One Direction and the like, but hey, the man’s got talent. Might as well reap the rewards.
Breaking into an impromptu rendition of ‘Do It My Way’ (leaving his band scrambling), he closed his set with the addictive ‘Skip A Beat’ – gallivanting across the stage with his charismatic back-up singers before finishing his encore with international breakout tune ‘Troublemaker’, sans Flo Rida. His cheeky humour and catchy songs made this concert an absolute delight.
