Live events of 2009

14 December 2009

Britney Spears - Circus Tour

Britney, it seems, can not leave controversy behind anywhere she goes - but this makes seeing her live all that more poignant, particularly when Ms. Spears performs songs like Piece of Me. This spectacular tour seemingly had it all: an in-the-round experience with dozens of dancers, a beautiful big-top video screen and more costume changes than Kylie Minogue. But what it lacked, like sharp and committed dance moves from Britney herself, and live vocals seemed to be all that people could focus on. Ignoring the fact that it was quite a feat for Britney to pick up her shattered career and stick on the road to recovery, media sensationalism ruled the day. Pfft to that! We saw her and bloody loved it- plus, she set records at Acer Arena and kept her head high throughout. It seems Britney has had the last laugh.

The Black Eyed Peas - The E.N.D Tour

Just when you think the Black Eyed Peas might have reached the end of their career - they bust out an absolute monster of an album, with three incredible hit-singles that reinforced just how superior and cohesive they are. But, it’s on stage that this powerhouse team excel and damn near nobody can touch them – boasting dozens of hits from their deep and varied back catalogue and fronted by the magnetic Will.I.Am and sex bomb Fergie, they’ve never lost the ability to connect with an audience, regardless of how many millions of people that might now be.

Beyonce - I Am… Tour

Beyonce has so many incredible songs that she can open with Crazy In Love and still perform another two hours of material with ease. Her latest album I Am…Sasha Fierce was a highlight in the already extensive career of this Diva, buoyed by the monster smash Single Ladies, which absolutely tore the roof of Acer. And live - she comes into her own (or should we say, Sasha does!), singing and dancing like nobodies business; it is a rare treat to see an artist of such calibre. Beyonce said onstage that she felt she was here to represent and empower women – seeing her dedication, warmth and pure talent, it is uplifting to see that modern-day feminism has a mascot like her.

P!NK - The Funhouse Tour

It’s no secret that Australia loves Pink and she clearly loves us back, spending months in our country to make sure that every single fan had the opportunity to see her perform. And what a performer she is - dangling from roofs, fearlessly being flung around and yet, she still enjoys sitting down with an acoustic and getting back to basics. Pink sold out 58 shows while in Australia, (excuse us while we lift our jaws off the ground) and in that time, we did not encounter one unhappy fan or one bad review. A true and dedicated performer, this tour will go down as one of the greatest to ever visit our faraway shores.

Sound Relief - Sydney and Melbourne Charity Concerts

Raising over $8 million dollars for the Red Cross’ Victorian Bushfire appeal after the devastating fires that ripped through Victoria, Sound Relief galvanised the country into actions. In doing so, we also found out that our country was beloved by so many artists who generously donated their time to help out - Coldplay, Kings of Leon, Taylor Swift and a reformed Midnight Oil banded together to entertain us while we mourned our departed friends. Creating some absolutely memorable moments in the process (ah, Coldplay and John Farnham dueting on You’re The Voice was particularly special) Sound Relief was the feel good event of the year.

Homebake - 15th Anniversary Year

Homebake first began its celebration of home grown talent 15 years ago in Byron Bay. Moving from strength to strength, Homebake is a bona fide institution on the Australian festival circuit, hosting the very best in local talent and this year’s event was no exception. Powderfinger headlined, The Underground Lovers and Tumbleweed played their first reformation shows and Sarah Blasko, Sia, Paul Dempsey, Hilltop Hoods and Daniel Merriweather showcased the depth of Australian talent. Always diverse and a pleasure to attend, we wish Homebake another 15 more years as successful as these!

Luminous Festival - Curated by Brian Eno for the Sydney Opera House

While Melbourne went about boasting their “cultural coup” with a visiting Tiger Woods (that worked out well) Sydneysiders revelled in the intellectually stimulating and musically challenging program put together by the fantabulous Mr Brian Eno. In his “jardigan” – that’s jacket cardigan, Eno spoke passionately about the need to keep creative communities alive and he reflected these sentiments in choosing Battles, Pivot, Reggie Watts, playwrights, authors and his own installations to dazzle Sydney for a fortnight under the beautifully lit sails of the Sydney Opera House. We loved this fusion of smarts and arts, come back soon Eno!

All Tomorrow’s Parties - Curated By Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Australians had long envied the ATP festivals held across the world, curated by some of the finest musicians and for the first time this year, we were treated to a remarkable party of our own. Curated by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, the line-up was a melange of genres and artists, featuring The Saints, Spiritualized, Robert Forster, The Laughing Clowns, Bridezilla, Beaches, Dead Meadow and a stack more, it was the kind of festival that saw young and old alike side by side, swilling red wine and delighting in the diversity. It’s taking a break in 2010, but cross your fingers and toes for 2011.

Kings of Leon - Only By The Night Tour

They came, they conquered, they made girls scream and guys envious. Kings of Leon, riding the wave of success that came from their mega album Only By The Night and their first ever mainstream hit in Sex on Fire showed everyone that their rock roots are deep and their sound, truly unique. While new audiences discovered the Followill brotherhood, old audiences remained completely dedicated to the band, who over the course of several albums have showed increasingly interesting ideas and directions while remaining true to their scuzzy, country roots. Live, these guys show their power - belting out those two minute ditties with ferocity, they’re a live act to contend with.

Festival First Night Sydney - Festival Free Party

Sydney Festival First Night does what no other event in Sydney does - it opens up the beautiful CBD to the masses and entertains with choice cuts from the festival program, all playing for free. This year saw Grace Jones bend minds with her magnificently bold performance in the Domain, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings wowed and punters danced under skyscrapers to Mr Scruff, the Cat Empire and the hotly anticipated Santigold. A huge number of people turned out, in fact, so many more than what was expected, which just goes to show (listen up Clover) we really like to party and we love our city in summer!