Live Review: Sarah Blasko

There was a distinct quiet confidence about Sarah Blasko as she entered the vast Sydney Opera House Concert Hall and opened her performance with a bellowing, smooth note that filled the space with ease. She stood in front of the 40-piece Sydney International Orchestra as well as her four-piece band and, between all of the musicians on stage, the sound created was truly phenomenal. Blasko did not allow her vocals to shy away from the huge sounds of the Sydney International Orchestra, and every note seemed to remain in place and in balance throughout the performance.

The singer opened the night with Explain, a perfect choice of opener as it was full of strong, bold notes and showcased the singer's full range. She then performed All I Want, and during this song she became noticeably comfortable on stage and began to add an extra layer of emotive energy to her vocals and also introduced a captivating ragdoll-esque style of moving to the complex orchestral music that she retained throughout the rest of the performance. Bird On A Wire was one of the highlights in terms of musical accompaniment as the complex sounds of the orchestra took centre stage during this song. Next came one of the evening's pinnacle vocal performances by way of Lost & Defeated, before Blasko then closed the first section of the performance with Sleeper Awake, which was particularly energetic and heartfelt.

She then began a performance of her most recent album, I Awake, with its title track. Playing the first songs on the record with huge levels of energy, Blasko then shifted the mood slightly with a quieter, more emotive performance of All Of Me, which the audience particularly enjoyed. Some of the most powerful moments of the night came towards the end, as the 36-year-old performed heartfelt renditions of Illusory Light and Fool and Cast The Net before leaving the stage with her band. Eventually returning after persistent applause, Blasko took her place at the grand piano. From here, she performed another of the evening's vocal standouts, An Oyster, A Pearl, before moving away from the grand piano to centre stage once again to continue her captivating floating movements during final song, Not Yet. With this, the musicians left the stage to a standing ovation from the entire concert hall. A remarkably accomplished performer in every sense, Sarah Blasko completely captivated the huge audience with a modest confidence, the evening utterly flawless.