In Australia all heterosexual men live in Melbourne and only homosexuals live in Sydney. So it's no wonder this glittering hulk is doing his shows there. Note the pronouns used indicating that the Aus Financial Review is owned by the woke crew who own Chanel 9 as well...
Michael BaileyRich List co-editor
Nov 4, 2023 – 12.04pm
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Review: Sam Smith, Qudos Bank Arena, November 3
There was a lot to take in at this show by the English singer-songwriter Sam Smith, part of an Australian tour supporting fourth studio album Gloria.
For one thing the 31-year-old had about eight costume changes, ranging from a glittery mash-up of suit and bustier, through lacy ballgowns and diaphanous veils to a climax of nipple tassels and suspenders.
Sam Smith on their ‘Gloria’ Australian tour. Rick Clifford
Then there were the themes. After boldly opening with the breakthrough hits from their first two albums - can you believe this show began with a mass singalong of signature ballad Stay With Me? - the rest was divided into sections entitled Love, Beauty and Sex, announced in turn by artsy big screen visuals and acted out by a wonderfully louche dance troupe.
And of course there was the gender politics bubbling underneath. Smith said early on that this show was about “freedom”, which fit with the lockdown genesis of Gloria’s songs, but also the agency they had clearly gained from their pioneering 2019 decision to use they/them pronouns.
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What other pop star would grab their belly fat and leer at us with their tongue poking out, as Smith did during the sex club choreography of Friday night’s cover of Madonna’s Human Nature? Their comfort in wearing, doing and being whatever they liked was an inspiration.
“Take your tops off if you like!” they said, encapsulating this show’s spirit.
But it all came back to the quality of the songs and the singing, and in this, admiration was the appropriate response.
Nature’s gift, and training since boyhood, have delivered Smith one of pop’s great voices. Capable of swooping from ethereal tenor to gut-punching bass, it created drama and connection wherever it went.
And they can write a catchy, concise hook too. It’s no surprise when my 18-year-old nieces, who had a ball, tell me that Smith’s work is all over TikTok.
In fact the three songs that followed Stay With Me - I’m Not The Only One, Like I Can and Too Good At Goodbyes - could just as easily be Smith’s calling cards. Their five-piece band and three backing singers, who were potential stars in their own right, grooved majestically on these mid-paced modern soul classics, as Smith turned heartbreak into feelgood.
Lower tempos will always be the best showcase for a voice as good as Smith’s - Kissing You, Lay Me Down and Love Goes, all backed by cascading piano, were another heart-lifting trio later on.
Sam Smith created a genuine connection with the crowd. Rick Clifford
But even the dance material, although generally less distinctive, was lifted by the fun that Smith was clearly having with it as they welcomed us to their “gay cabaret”.
The infectious bump-and-grind of Gimme had everyone out of their seats, I’m Not Here To Make Friends was a big-chorus banger made for arenas like this, and Unholy delivered the bacchanalian climax to Smith’s message of liberation, red lights strobing as the dancers writhed and we all let loose.
Where so much pop culture creates self-consciousness, here was a show that made you feel comfortable in your own skin. It was glorious.
Earlier, another big voice in the form of Sydneysider Meg Mac had started the good vibes flowing. As it was for the headliner, comparisons to Adele were unavoidable but Mac displayed a songcraft all her own, especially on the beautiful Letter and strident anthem Roll Up Your Sleeves, which inspired the first of the night’s many galaxies of smartphone torches.
Sam Smith plays a second show at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena on November 4, and in Brisbane on November 8.
Sam Smith brings one of pop’s great voices to Sydney
Michael BaileyRich List co-editor
Nov 4, 2023 – 12.04pm
Save
Share
Listen to this article
4 min
Review: Sam Smith, Qudos Bank Arena, November 3
There was a lot to take in at this show by the English singer-songwriter Sam Smith, part of an Australian tour supporting fourth studio album Gloria.
For one thing the 31-year-old had about eight costume changes, ranging from a glittery mash-up of suit and bustier, through lacy ballgowns and diaphanous veils to a climax of nipple tassels and suspenders.
Sam Smith on their ‘Gloria’ Australian tour. Rick Clifford
Then there were the themes. After boldly opening with the breakthrough hits from their first two albums - can you believe this show began with a mass singalong of signature ballad Stay With Me? - the rest was divided into sections entitled Love, Beauty and Sex, announced in turn by artsy big screen visuals and acted out by a wonderfully louche dance troupe.
And of course there was the gender politics bubbling underneath. Smith said early on that this show was about “freedom”, which fit with the lockdown genesis of Gloria’s songs, but also the agency they had clearly gained from their pioneering 2019 decision to use they/them pronouns.
00:00
Advertisement
What other pop star would grab their belly fat and leer at us with their tongue poking out, as Smith did during the sex club choreography of Friday night’s cover of Madonna’s Human Nature? Their comfort in wearing, doing and being whatever they liked was an inspiration.
“Take your tops off if you like!” they said, encapsulating this show’s spirit.
But it all came back to the quality of the songs and the singing, and in this, admiration was the appropriate response.
Nature’s gift, and training since boyhood, have delivered Smith one of pop’s great voices. Capable of swooping from ethereal tenor to gut-punching bass, it created drama and connection wherever it went.
And they can write a catchy, concise hook too. It’s no surprise when my 18-year-old nieces, who had a ball, tell me that Smith’s work is all over TikTok.
In fact the three songs that followed Stay With Me - I’m Not The Only One, Like I Can and Too Good At Goodbyes - could just as easily be Smith’s calling cards. Their five-piece band and three backing singers, who were potential stars in their own right, grooved majestically on these mid-paced modern soul classics, as Smith turned heartbreak into feelgood.
Lower tempos will always be the best showcase for a voice as good as Smith’s - Kissing You, Lay Me Down and Love Goes, all backed by cascading piano, were another heart-lifting trio later on.
Sam Smith created a genuine connection with the crowd. Rick Clifford
But even the dance material, although generally less distinctive, was lifted by the fun that Smith was clearly having with it as they welcomed us to their “gay cabaret”.
The infectious bump-and-grind of Gimme had everyone out of their seats, I’m Not Here To Make Friends was a big-chorus banger made for arenas like this, and Unholy delivered the bacchanalian climax to Smith’s message of liberation, red lights strobing as the dancers writhed and we all let loose.
Where so much pop culture creates self-consciousness, here was a show that made you feel comfortable in your own skin. It was glorious.
Earlier, another big voice in the form of Sydneysider Meg Mac had started the good vibes flowing. As it was for the headliner, comparisons to Adele were unavoidable but Mac displayed a songcraft all her own, especially on the beautiful Letter and strident anthem Roll Up Your Sleeves, which inspired the first of the night’s many galaxies of smartphone torches.
Sam Smith plays a second show at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena on November 4, and in Brisbane on November 8.
