Live Review: Guy Sebastian

Vince Harder didn’t have to do much to warm up the crowd for the second night of Guy Sebastian’s national Ridin’ With You tour. The sound of Who’s That Girl, played from a punter’s portable loudspeaker as they crossed the street, flowed into the foyer to meet the endless line at the merch table over half an hour before he hit the stage. The New Zealand R&B/pop artist set the tone of the night with some upbeat and uplifting tunes before stripping it back for an acoustic cover of Donny Hathaway’s A Song For You. Harder glided through his set with impressive vocal control and range, as the crowd vibed to his feelgood tunes like Not Gonna Let Go, off his EP Colours. He closed off his set with '90s R&B-infused bop Next To You.

Guy Sebastian held nothing back as he launched into his two-hour set with a darker arrangement of his 2017 hit, Bloodstone. Like It Like That and Like A Drum introduced the vocal blend and choreography between Sebastian and his backing vocalists, before he threw it back to his second album Beautiful Life with Out With My Baby – despite being 15 years old, it's still very much a banger.

Waves and whispers of excitement had spread through the crowd prior to the start of the show as his wife Jules, with sleeping children in tow, took their seats. Their presence was a major part of Sebastian’s interaction with his buzzing but adoringly attentive audience. Sebastian was jovial, yet sincere, and made everyone feel like he was having a one-on-one conversation with them. He made punters comfortable, which gave way to some positive heckling – Sebastian was cut short while introducing a song with an, “Ok, Guy, get on with it, mate, and start the song." “That’s probably the best advice I’ve ever been given,” Sebastian replied.

Guy Sebastian. Photos by Sharon Burgess.

Despite entering ballad territory – Sebastian explained to the crowd, “It’s a Guy Sebastian gig – I love a ballad” – energy levels remained high. Highlights included his performance of Climb Ev'ry Mountain from The Sound Of Music and a hauntingly beautiful a cappella vocal arrangement of Bring Yourself sung with his backing vocalists. Then he jumped on the piano for a solo rendition of Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

Sebastian shared a couple of new songs and brought the crowd to church with the gospel-infused, Hammond organ-rich Let Me Drink. His songwriting has evolved as he's gotten older, reflecting his move into family life. Songs written for his wife and son were among the crowd favourites, which were particularly relatable to his older fanbase who have essentially grown up with him since his Australian Idol, 'fro days.

Rounding the night off, he had the crowd on their feet for a medley of hits like Don’t Worry Be Happy, Elevator Love and Who’s That Girl before saying his final goodbyes to Perth with an encore of Choir, a dedication to his friend and fellow musician Luke Liang who passed away last year.

The vibe was electrifying from start to finish and Sebastian’s vocal ability is undeniable – his tone, vocal phrasing, intonation, taste and musicality. “He sounds exactly like the recording,” an audience member said. His performance was also a reminder of his musical ability, Sebastian a multi-instrumentalist and essentially the musical director for the entire tour, transitioning effortlessly between singing to playing acoustic guitar to piano.

In terms of production, there was no stone left unturned, from staging and use of levels, sound production, musical and vocal arrangements, choreography and the captivating lighting and visuals. Sebastian raised the bar and reminded the crowd why he is one of Australia’s most successful recording artists.