Live Review: Pink, Sydney

Tuesday July 30
Sydney Entertainment Centre, NSW

Pink is currently in the unique position where the only competition rivaling her juggernaut status is her last effort. 2009’s Funhouse Tourbroke the record for the biggest tour in the history of Australia with her national shows grossing over $80 million. After leaving more than 660,000 fans with their jaws slammed firmly against the floor, Australia questioned whether she could top it. But within minutes of the harnessed bungee acrobatics during opener Raise Your Glass, Pink proved altitude was again on her side and that she has no problem upping the ante.

:: VIEW LIVE SHOTS FROM PINK’S BRISBANE SHOW

The 400 tonnes of equipment needed to portray The Truth About Love included 12 LED screens (the best of them heart-shaped), a double staircase complete with street lamps/stripper poles and a suspended circular cage, which encased another spinning orb; Pink and her dancers hung off of it sans harnesses, treating it like a jungle gym as she sung the contradictory lyrics of Sober: “I’m safe/Up High.”

Over two hours, Pink took us through her extensive back catalogue, changing costumes every few songs and stopping every now and again to accept marriage proposals for her two-and-a-half year old daughter Willow, offer the stage to her dancers or her gregarious, Dr Seuss-quoting host Rubix Von Füchenhürtz, and give us hilarious inside glimpses to her life:

“The next song is my favourite off the new record because it makes my husband uncomfortable,” she said before How Come You’re Not Here.

“She told me she was going to cut me today with her fake knife,” Pink casually mentioned as she collected presents for Willow following a seamless acoustic rendition of Cyndi Lauper’s Time after Time.

Longtime zealots were later treated to a fast-paced medley of Pink’s breakout RnB singles while her choreography crossed genres and defied gravity, making both look effortless. She’s also mastered the piano and has passable prowess on the drum kit. Her last tour saw her take on the guitar but this time around her secret keyboardist proved unnecessary as she captivated the arena through The Great Escape.

If her predominantly female following weren’t already overwhelmed by the sheer velocity of her performance, they were when she flew to all four corners of the arena in a gold unitard and sequined high heels. Final track So What? was Pink’s exoneration; the 33-year-old may have been a sonic chameleon over the years, but her credence and altruistic love has shone since her 2000 debut Can’t Take Me Home.