“Can I indulge you?” a softly spoken Sarah Blasko asks the excited Brisbane crowd. The songstress is celebrating the release of her sixth studio album “Depth Of Field” by a massive national tour that sees her playing the experimental new record in it’s entirety. Kicking off the run of dates in Queensland over the weekend to a packed room at The Triffid she seemed nervous to ask the crowd if it was okay that she played this new album in full before she played the much anticipated fan favourites and hits. But unsurprisingly her loyal and excited fans couldn’t have been happier to oblige. We were instantly transported into the dreamy and pulsating synth driven world of heartbreak that opening track “Phantom” introduces. If you are familiar to Blasko’s previous material you will note that this new record is quite the departure to the adult contemporary pop that we have become accustomed to. But the dark edge that the production delivers highlighted the raw vulnerability of her lyrics and vocals. This then translates incredibly well in her live show as she delivers a very theatrical and engaging performance. Drenched in dark lighting, she instantly captivated the crowd with her powerful vocals along with the very dramatic and moody aesthetic. Throughout the night I was so captivated watching her because her facial expressions told so much of the stories along with her dramatic and minimal dance movements. She’s also very technical when it comes to her vocal delivery so it was very interesting watching her move her microphone, cover her mouth and sing into different sides to create different effects. “Never Let Me Go”, “Heaven Sent”, “Making It Up” and “Another” stood out with their engaging live renditions but it was the vulnerable “Read My Mind” which was a pure and honest highlight. The emotional song saw her baring all on stage and left the singer shedding a few tears at the end of the song along with this reviewer who was impressed by the raw emotion she showcased. After she finished performing the album in it’s entirety she went through a selection of fan favourites including “I Am Ready”, “I Wanna Be Your Man”, “God Fearing”, “All I Want”, “We Won’t Run” and “Without Love”. These selections continued the upbeat and reflective mood that the rest of the show set and had you wishing it wouldn’t end. She was ever so gracious and whilst there were a few little technical hiccups in between songs due to the tour having only just started she had you compelled the entire show. She’s noted to be one of Australia’s strongest live performers and this show proved why she’s got that reputation.
Check out the full photo gallery captured by The Raveyard Photography here
Photos by Blake Lewis