Live Review: Stephen Sanchez, GRAACE @ Forum Melbourne

Australian singer-songwriter GRAACE returns to the limelight and serves up a taste of the new material she’s been working on, including her latest single, Jealous—her first new release in two years. The raw and honest track is empowering and showcases her bright talent, which is bursting with pop perfection. 

She warms up the crowd with a lively performance featuring a mix of songs, including a cover of Kings Of Leon’s Use Somebody and her breakout track with Hayden James (Numb), for which she recorded the vocal feature. Her upcoming EP, set to be released later this year, promises to be an exciting, fearless new chapter, and she shares some more unreleased tracks, including one called Downgraded, dedicated to every one of her exes.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the tale you’re about to hear happened a long, long time ago. This is the story of an Angel Face. Sit back, relax; you’re listening to What Would Love Do radio now playing The Troubadour Sanchez,” says a voiceover introduction as Stephen Sanchez takes to the stage under a smoky light that allows us to see only his silhouette against a gold curtain backdrop.

From the moment he begins to sing Something About Her, Sanchez makes the audience swoon by captivating us with his angelic vocals and velvety tones of vibrato that echo a nostalgic era. He takes us on a journey back in time to the 1950s and ‘60s with his stunning jukebox of songs from his latest concept album, Angel Face, which tells a tale of a fictional world-famous musician from the late ‘50s who lights up pop culture and falls in love with the girlfriend of a mob boss.

“I just released the deluxe version to close out the chapter of this story, this record—which has been tremendously special and changed my life in a million different ways,” Sanchez reveals. He gives us more of the Angel Face story with new songs, including The Other Side, Emotional Vacation, and Howlin’ At Wolves, showcasing his signature style with cinematic balladry and lively rock’n’roll blues.

“Where are all my pretty women at?” He shouts repetitively to encourage an even louder response. He continues, “Where are all my boys at?” The response is not as strong, so he cheekily dedicates the next song to all the pretty girls. He performs a charismatic cover of Roy Orbison’s Oh, Pretty Woman that’s perfectly suited to his timeless style, with baritone vocals and plenty of swagger to match.

Sanchez has the ability to channel some of the musical greats from a time gone by with a sound of the past but still manages to shine through with his own charming personality in the spotlight, giving us a refreshing pop flare for the present. His stage presence is impeccable, and his classic performance is authentic. He sings with passion as he effortlessly hits the highest of the high notes to lift the star-light sky ceiling off the venue and nails all the low notes perfectly. 

“I woke up at 4 am this morning to get to Melbourne from Sydney; so sorry if you hear the 5 am here and there throughout the show. I took a nap; it wasn’t enough, but we’re here!” He’s unnoticeably tired, but he puts every ounce of energy into the performance until the very end, and he musters up the brain power to deliver a heartfelt speech before treating fans to another new track called Fame or Fortune – dedicated to his Aussie girlfriend.

“Before this record came out, I went to Australia for the very first time, before any of those songs were even written. It was at a time that felt like the biggest moment in my career, and I was kinda getting lost in it for a minute, and I stopped caring about things that were really important. But then I met somebody in Australia and because of her I realised there are so many more beautiful things in this world, and she is top of the list! I don’t feel famous or anything like that, and she reminds me that when I get off stage, I don’t have to be. I can just be,” he reveals.

Sanchez jokes about with his band and sings a few lines of Coldplay’s Yellow in his best Cher vocal impression to make the audience laugh. He throws on his cowboy hat and rocks out to Shake, which sees him channel Elvis Presley in his exciting performance while he darts around the stage and kicks his legs up with enthusiasm, leaving us star-crossed as he croons until the very last note.