Live Review: Keith Sweat, CDB

Bass-heavy new jack swing hits pour into the theatre as excited punters serenade their mates and saunter down to their seats. Booming through the venue sound system is a compilation of super-funky '80s- and '90s-R&B classics in all their spicy, syncopated glory. We hear Portrait, Guy, SWV, Christopher Williams and more, all conjuring up nostalgic memories of heavily choreographed music videos and sultry vocals to make you weak at the knees.

Melbourne's very own CDB are up first and they're an absolute freakin' treat. Dressed in black, they step on stage seriously dripping with confidence and coolness, revelling in the sight of punters jumping to their feet in an instant. Hook Me Up is a blast from Aussie charts past - still a killer track - and CDB's vocals certainly pack a punch. The vocal blend, whether they sing unison or harmonies, is insane and it's all done while whipping out dance moves straight from your '90s teen dreams. Their a cappella cover of All My Life boasts harmonies so lush; it's pretty hard to stop the heart from melting into mush. Elastic ad libs and vocal runs switch to crazy choreo yet again for their most popular cover, Let's Groove. It's a set that exceeds our expectations, to say the least, and there's no telling where they can elevate their act from here - maybe adding an accompanying live band!?

There's a terribly awkward, prolonged silence as the old school R&B background mix suddenly stops. Punters stare at the animated rotating Keith Sweat logo projected onto the stage's back wall and keep muttering in hushed tones for the next few long seconds. Then, with only a moment's warning, and lights dimmed, we hear the opening line of Right And A Wrong Way - but there's no Keith Sweat in sight! His band power through the first part of this track and Sweat lingers side-stage, singing his lungs out before bounding into the spotlight accompanied by our applause and shrieking. There's clearly no lip-syncing tonight, as Sweat proudly confirms later on. Punters go equally as nuts for the founding father of the new jack swing genre, Teddy Riley, whose appearance on this tour was announced very recently and is obviously well-received by the crowd. Riley's jamming on the vocoder for the entire set is tight. His freestyles and interludes are hot-as-hell and it's a genuine thrill to witness this living legend do his thing with such ease and skill.

Sweat's set clearly targets the single ladies tonight. There's a lot of, "All my ladies scream!" which you can bet they do, passionately and loudly. This dude is a real showman and knows how to work a room - possibly due to his residency at Flamingo Las Vegas - because when he's not belting it out with his powerhouse vocals, his banter is off the charts. It's like a comedy show between tracks. "When you're with Keith Sweat, it's time for sex!" he shouts after telling the crowd, "Tonight, somebody gonna get pregnant!" There's a costume change from sultry black suit to a silky white one, with buttons opened and chain glistening under the lights for Get Up On It. His jacket is quickly discarded onto one of the black couches behind him, as he continues serenading punters and suddenly leaps off the stage into the audience - running down the side aisle all the way to the last row of the theatre and then back down the middle again. It's pure chaos. Punters scream and laugh, standing on chairs and trying to lean over the balcony to look down at the sheer craziness that's unfolding.

After being escorted back up on stage, Sweat sings, "This ain't no tea! This is Hennessy!" sipping from his glass while the band plays an ongoing slow jam in the background. Let's Chill by Guy, Riley's iconic R&B group, is a walk down memory lane - if only more punters knew the words when Sweat holds the mic in the crowd's direction! Twisted goes off and, before we know it, Sweat has the house lights turned up to select a few single ladies and couples to join him on stage. He goes on to ask all ten ladies if they "got a man" and asks the couples how long they've been together. He (of course) has a witty and overtly sexual response for all of them. It's a hilarious interlude and Sweat has the whole room in complete stitches. "This is the lonely hearts club, right here," he says before Nobody, referring to the single ladies standing behind him. There's not one butt stuck in a seat for new jack swing anthem I Want Her and, in the blink of an eye, Sweat's off the stage with Riley as the audience keep grooving to Cameo's Candy.

Two minutes later, most of the lights are still off. There's confusion as to whether there'll be an encore or not, so punters stand around aimlessly. The house lights blind us, a few moments later, informing us that Sweat is officially done - probably sipping some more Hennessy, recovering from all those gyrating dance moves and legging it up and down the aisles. His first Aussie tour done so right, fingers crossed it's not the last visit from Sweat.