Live Review: Anastacia – 29th April 2015 – The Star Event Centre, Sydney, Australia
4 min read
Since releasing her first single, I’m Outta Love at the start of the millennium, small statured vocal powerhouse Anastacia has been producing some of the biggest soul/pop singles in music. Her debut album, Not That Kind, released way back in 2000, presented us with a petite framed songstress who could tear through some of the most challenging numbers with ease, precision and sheer perfection. Over the preceding several years the superstar turned out several chart placing singles in the shape of Not That Kind, Cowboys and Kisses, Paid My Dues, One Day In Your Life and Left Outside Alone.
With a new album to promote, the singer is back on the road with a brand new batch of hits to play to fans in Australia and after facing major health scares over the last decade, including a recent battle with breast cancer in 2013, the title of the tour and album, Resurrection, is rather fitting. Supporting the singer on her first ever Australian tour, fans flocked to the flashy Star Event Centre last night for the Sydney leg of the Resurrection tour, the first date of several stops around the country.
With Perth singer-songwriter Jason Ayres providing a brief 30 minute support set to get the crowd warmed up, the soul/pop icon began her hit-filled set-list which included tracks that encapsulated her 15 year career thus far, at a little before 9pm, cracking the lid on the show with her 2004 hit, Left Outside Alone.
Over the course of just shy of 90 minutes, the singer belted out highlights from her incredible successful career while interjecting the music with over the top, quirky and energetically animated banter with her 6-piece band who offered the night some exceptional instrumentation and complimenting backing vocals to Anastacia’s vigorous delivery. During several moments throughout the show band members were given some of the limelight as the leading diva cast the audience’s attention onto their multiple musical attributes. Her bassist, or ‘Sexy Chocolate’ as she called him, delivered the vocal hook during an early performance of Sick and Tired; a humorous choreographed performance of Defeated with her two backing singers for a girl group ‘Sprockets/Lady Lumps’ moment got the crowd laughing along as the singer joked about her inability to look sexy and a two song covers segment made up of AC/DC’s Back in Black and Guns n Roses’ Sweet Child o’ Mine had the fans rush the stage as the singer shook their hands and her lead guitarist tore through a pair of rock’s most prestigious classics.
With up-tempo hits out in full force last night, a sentimental mid-set section was offered to fans that allowed us a raw moment of music from the pop/soul superstar. The singer highlighted her various health scares that have inflicted her over the past few years, talking candidly about her battles but ending on a high note by explaining that she fought through those times with strength and optimism in order to keep her life moving forward. During her speech we got a glimpse into a real artist and a real woman who has gone through hell and come out the other side stronger than ever and appreciative of what life has to offer despite it all. This led her perfectly into an intimate 3 song performance of Heavy On My Heart, Stay and Broken Wings which she dedicated to these battles and which have inspired her through tough times.
While the ballads allowed the musician to show off her flawless vocal ability, it was the uptempo numbers, in particular her early career hits like One Day In Your Life, Paid My Dues and of course, her signature hit I’m Outta Love, that got the audience grinding along and belting back the lyrics with the petite hit-maker who looked exceptional in her figure hugging leather pants, black lace top and black jacket with glittering shoulder tassels.
Anastacia certainly brought some soul to a very rainy Sydney this week and a happy crowd departed the venue content with a show that was both a long time coming and full of hits from start to end. Come back soon Anastacia!
Set List:
Left Outside Alone
Staring At The Sun
Sick and Tired
Welcome To My Truth
Pieces Of A Dream
Heavy on my Heart
Stay (backing singers providing angelic backing/gospel)
Broken Wings
Back In Black (AC/DC cover)
Sweet Child O’ Mine (Guns n Roses cover)
Defeated
Stupid Little Things
Paid My Dues
Encore:
Freak of Nature (intro)
One Day In Your Life
I’m Outta Love
::: RenownedForSound.com’s Editor and Founder –
Interviewing and reviewing the best in new music and globally recognized artists is his passion.
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