LordeOn a picturesque mild spring evening, the beloved Riverstage is steadily filling with music lovers of all ages and walks of life for the Brisbane leg of Kiwi pop sensation Lorde's Melodrama world tour.
Attempting to capture the attention of the buzzing crowd, Sydney electro-pop diva George Maple throws plenty of energy into her supporting set, but it's obvious by the sheer number of bodies that remain firmly seated on the grassy hill that tonight's crowd is here for one songstress only. Not fazed by the lukewarm reception, Maple delivers a set that's high in energy and sultry dance moves, which are heightened by the blood-red stage lighting and a constant veil of smoke. Working extremely hard as the only soul on the stage, Maple treats the enthusiastic mosh to cuts from her upcoming debut album as well a thumping cover of Beyonce's Diva.
An eclectic video made up of television commercial snippets, sporting highlights and celebrity talk-show interviews serves as the opening piece to Lorde's first Brisbane show since 2014. Not fazed by the confusing AV, the near-capacity crowd welcome her with a deafening roar, quickly turning screams into screeching melodies as the post-pop trendsetter dives straight into Homemade Dynamite. Dominating the stage, a luminescent astronaut behind the excited singer flickers in time with the chorus beats, further accentuating the song's catchy, stuttering refrain.
The introduction of Disclosure-esque synthesisers feeds the party atmosphere as Lorde shows off her own sultry moves to Magnets, whipping up her black ballgown as she saunters across the stage teasing the heaving mosh with an outstretched hand.
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In the first of many charming interactions with the crowd, Lorde observes that the Riverstage crowd looks "absolutely amazing, though I'm very intrigued by that corn-cob stall up the back - what does that even taste like?" The banter seems to inspire a very relaxed rendition of Tennis Court, with Lorde sassily crooning "ch-yeaaaah" and even whipping out some krumping moves in the final chorus.
In a complete vibe reversal, Hard Feelings sees two dancers flanking Lorde with dramatic choreography as she pours emotion into this minimalistic slow-burner. The dancers continue to marvel in Sober, however they fail to capture the mood for the rest of the set against Lorde's sporadic and jagged dance moves.
A quick chat to the crowd about exploring Riverstage's backstage leads to Lorde confessing, "I grew up on Powderfinger!" and opening Liability ("the crying song of the album [Melodrama]") with an accidentally ironic a cappella rendition of My Happiness. As the piano-driven ballad progresses, iPhones and voices are raised as Lorde sings her heart out in an utterly captivating vocal and physical performance.
The ballads continue with a gorgeous guitar medley of The Boss' I'm On Fire and her own 400 Lux, before a stomping and angsty version of A World Alone once again has the crowd dancing along to booming synthesisers.
While her minimalistic approach in the studio has seen both her debut album Pure Heroine and new release Melodrama enjoy international acclaim, some tracks from both records fail to convey Lorde's signature arrangements and impressive vocals in this open-air setting. The backing track of choral harmonies in songs like Buzzcut Season and Perfect Places seem to do most of the vocal heavy lifting, in contrast to her powerful and captivating renditions of The Louvre and Team.
However, Supercut showcases the very best of Lorde's hook-laden electronic gems, as she bounds to each side of the stage in a track featuring faultless dynamics in a super-fun use of vocals and retro, pounding synths.
To be expected, Royals sends Riverstage into a frenzied singalong, cheerfully led by our Queen Bee who's then humbly drowned-out by the deafening Brisbane choir during Green Light. After being showered in confetti and green strobes, we're treated to a short encore performance of Loveless. Lorde - wearing a fan's floral crown - coyly triggers samples that steadily morph into a monstrous dancefloor soundscape. The set honestly ends too quickly, with most absolutely loving the rare experience of Lorde live DJing and the thumping late-night vibes.
In a show boasting glamorous costume changes, half a dozen special lighting rigs, the most unique blend of street and balletic interpretive dancing, and some of the most genuine interaction with a crowd, Lorde cements herself as one of our country's favourite modern pop stars.
