Sam Smith brought their highly-anticipated live show to Brisbane on Wednesday, November 8.
Despite occurring in the middle of the week, attendees came with a fervently raucous commitment to enjoying themselves, palpably excited energy, and attitude as if it were a Friday or Saturday night out.
The concert was in support of their most recent musical effort, Gloria, an unapologetic combination of Smith’s trademark soulful balladeering, an evolving theme of sexual empowerment (first shown with their 2020 release Love Goes) and a brutally vulnerable lyrical offering that was a primary ingredient in their 2014 debut release In the Lonely Hour, launching Smith to international stardom.
Opening the show with the ballad that cemented his status as a top-tier crooner, ‘Stay With Me’, was a power move unavailable to most pop singers. The rousing performance showed off his signature vocal styling and let the audience know they were in for an absolute sonic treat of an evening.
The conceptual seafarer theme of the Gloria album was consistent throughout the show. Smith’s various costumes showed an exceptionally creative and original intersection of traditional naval clothing, queerness and all things sea-related. Ranging from a golden sailor captain hat and ruffle-sleeved peasant-style blouse to a gilt coral crown they wore during a haunting and captivating rendition of the track ‘Gloria‘ and iridescent fishing net-style outfits worn by the dancers.
The sense of community and family was palpable from Smith and their musicians performing alongside them. They made a point to highlight the high-calibre talent and importance that their band, singers and dancers had and how integral they all were to the success of taking Gloria the Tour across the globe. Moments like these highlighted Smith’s humble and down-to-earth disposition.
For long-time fans of Smith’s, Wednesday evening’s show was an invigorating and unapologetic display of Smith’s artistic vision, which shows no signs of deviating anytime soon from the overall theme of Gloria – freedom.
