Live Review: Bruno Major @ The Tivoli, Brisbane

After a six-year hiatus, Bruno Major returns to the stage reborn, exuding more soul and emotion than ever. The time has finally come for him to showcase what the absence had morphed into. 

But first, multi-talented US musician Kevin Garrett emerges from the mist, reeling the audience in with his soul-filled tunes and pristine vocals.

Pittsburgh’s best-kept secret builds anticipation as he smashes songs like Coloring, Faith You Might, and Little Bit Of You. Not to mention the mesmerising cover of Billie Eilish’s When The Party’s Over. 

His riffs are intoxicating, purely addicting, and we voluntarily allow our souls to be kidnapped. He’s got Brisbane captivated; even the people at the bar turn their heads, forgetting all about their order. The more he sings, the hungrier we get; his last note leaves us yearning for more. 

But who else can fill this void, this deficit, but the UK’s own Bruno? The crowd is greeted with a burning glow that floods the audience with a dazzling energy set to linger in our minds days after.

The initial piano riffs delicately tease us with their sonic swirls. The show kicks off to a mellow start with The Show Must Go On, transporting the audience to a bygone era, evoking somewhat of a cozy 1960s sound blended with a pinch of rock. With his great musical finesse, the UK artist casually flaunts his guitar prowess, immediately luring us into his creative universe. 

The transition, marked by a shift to an azure backdrop, unveils a new musical landscape. The groovy sounds of Like Someone In Love permeate the air, Bruno's vocals popping off even more in this live rendition. The instrumental break brings a different hue, as jazz takes on a rock style, leaving the audience in awe.

As the setlist progresses, Bruno delves into Fair-Weather Friend, ushering in a soul-fluttering experience that enwraps the crowd in a whimsical candy dream. Bruno's ethereal performance blurs reality into a haven of musical bliss.

He then seamlessly shifts the mood with Wouldn't Mean A Thing - a soft and romantic tune in which Bruno's slightly raspy voice breathes raw emotion into the lyrics. A poignant guitar solo hums through the air, adding a layer of profound depth to the performance.

Fan favourite Regent's Park then unfurls like a rustic memory, guided by the piano's hypnotic melody. Bruno's acoustic guitar engages in a soulful conversation with the piano, creating a jazzy fusion that leaves the crowd stunned.

He also sprinkles in a gift for the audience as he teases The Most Beautiful Thing. This collaborative effort with FINNEAS unfolds like a masterpiece. It feels like when the sun gently kisses the sleep out your eyes, streaming away all negativity and leaving behind a sense of serenity.

After a relaxing rendition of Tell Her, he launches into Home, a lullaby for the restless souls. As the song gushes into the chorus, tears well up without warning. The melody and lyrics mesh so perfectly, as a blissful dagger penetrates each and every one of our hearts. An inexplicable warmth envelops the venue, connecting all of us with a shared tenderness. 

“It’s funny how all the songs are written about love…” the singer starts. “It always has been, like Shakespeare was banging on about it, wasn’t he, back in the day. And I think it might be because it’s the most powerful emotion we can feel,” he expresses as he sets sail to explore the fleeting beauty of love in A Strange Kind Of Beautiful. It almost feels like a modern spin on Chopin's Nocturne Op.9 No.2 In E-Flat Major, evoking the image of a drunk Chopin composing a masterpiece in his room only to end up lost in the musical abyss with no one to hear. 

As the last piano note rings, he launches into Just The Same without missing a beat. It starts a bit sultry, with an edge reminiscent of Cynthia Erivo's Stand Up. This anthem-like number envelops the venue in a sombre yet empowering melody. His solo piano performance continued as he started ripping some unfamiliar tunes out of his pocket. The crowd gasps harmoniously as the unforgettable opening notes of Places We Won't Walk reverberate through the venue, evoking bittersweet feelings akin to Toy Story's When She Loved Me.

Pure joy overtakes Bruno as requests pour in from his beloved audience. This time, with his guitar, he effortlessly navigates through Old Fashioned, hitting all the right places. 

An unexpected birthday song goes out to stagehand Ben before moving on to his hit, Nothing. “This song is the reason we get to go on tour,” he says humbly as the audience recites every lyric in unison.

The tranquillity is immediately shattered with a surprise cover of Shakey Ground by The Temptations, injecting new-found energy into the atmosphere. But being Bruno, he never misses an opportunity to slow things down. He enters a rendition of Colombo, masterfully transitioning into You Take The High Road.

“In the event that you had a terrible evening and you do not want us to come back, then this is the last song,“ Bruno starts sadly before launching into the final song We Were Never Really Friends. A tad reminiscent of Queen's We Are the Champions, he exits triumphantly, leaving the audience in awe, triggering an instant encore.

Not even a minute passes before he’s back on his trusty stage. He starts by plucking some tunes, with a hint of Spanish guitar, soon igniting screams and turning the entire venue into a live karaoke sesh as he transitions into the timeless piece, Easily.

What better way than to close the show with The End? Echoing the cinematic experience of a credit roll, he takes a final bow to an extraordinary evening. He may have been gone a long time, leaving his fans wondering, but he returned with an incredibly immersive journey worth the wait.