Amy Shark with Cult Romance at Gladstone Entertainment Centre 21st August 2022
Photos & Review By Brad Fry ( frycandyphoto )
Gladstone Central Queensland is an industrial town located between Rockhampton and Bundaberg (for those of you that don’t know). The population is (at last count) 35,067 and a quick Google search will tell you it is the 11th most populous place in Queensland and ranks as the 40th largest urban centre by population in Australia (top 50…..go Gladdy). We are at the doorstep to the Great Barrier Reef and enjoy relatively steady temperatures all year round, although this winter has been abnormally cold, here ends my geography assignment.
Amy Shark is nearing the end of her See You Somewhere Australian tour and graced Gladstone with a stop on this epic loop around the country. Music fans in Gladstone can sometimes miss out on performances by artists of Amy Sharks caliber and find themselves travelling to Rockhampton or Bundaberg (or further) to see shows. The fact that Amy chose to stop in was not lost on the punters that turned up in droves to experience the magic that she brings to every stage she performs on. Amy was joined by Cult Romance for this leg of her massive tour and a fantastic night of live music was locked and loaded for the port city. As a side note, because this is a home ground gig, my 19 year old daughter Taylor is going to the show. I’ll be putting in various comments and opinions from her throughout the review. I’m going to call her additions Tay’s Say. Let’s go!
Cult Romance took to the stage a little later than expected due to some technical issues but that didn’t burst the crowds bubble. The Gold Coast musician was met with cheers as he bounded on to the stage and said “sorry I’m late” with a wry smile. The five points of his Mohawk cut like knives through the foggy stage as he kicked into his set. He used the whole stage as his smile got wider and wider with every step his boots took. You could tell Cult Romance was in his happy place. Every time he pointed at the crowd he was met with cheers and screams signalling that the eager Gladstone crowd was also in theirs. His set was seemingly cut a little short due to the late start but, with what he delivered, would have definitely won some new fans and any existing fans would have only reaffirmed their allegiance.
Tay’s Say- Cult Romance’s looks are somewhat deceiving. The outfit he had on gave off the idea that he would be playing lot of rock/rap music with the jet black mohawk and black and white clothing. When he started to sing though, it was more of a pop sound. The crowd loved the energy that he put into his performance, using the full stage. Bouncing around to the beat and giving the crowd what they love. I don’t believe many people in Gladstone had heard of him prior to the show but they were still vibing with the music. Both he and his DJ seemed like such genuine people who were there to perform and have a good time. Gladstone really made them feel welcome and showed that they had enjoyed their performance.
Amy, Amy, Amy, was the chant coming from the crowd easily 15 mins before her set was to start. The hulking silhouettes on stage were revealed as Amy’s huge namesake signage. Amy, Amy, Amy, again and again the chant went up. As the lights dropped the cheers and screams climbed. Amy Shark emerged onto the smoke covered stage looking pleased with the crowd that had come to see her. Everybody Rise was the first song and that is exactly what they did! In unison the crowd started singing, cheering and screaming. The enormity of having Amy Shark in our little town was lost on nobody in attendance and from their reaction to the fist song you could tell this was going to be a great night. Amy double checked with the crowd that Gladstone’s nickname was indeed “Gladdy” (so as not to offend anybody) and she was met with a loud and resounding “yes!”. While attending to to the social etiquette of Gladstone, Amy threw out a disclaimer to the younger members of the crowd. She eluded to the fact that there was going to be some bad language used during the show. She connected with a young fan named Willow and warned her about the slightly more adult language she would hear. Willow certainly didn’t seem fazed by the warning and Amy said “but you’re going to learn it any way so why not learn it from Aunty Amy”. The crowd roared and the music started agin.
“What’s my name Gladstone” Amy asked the crowd as the night progressed. A very loud “Amy Shark” came an immediate reply. It was evident to all in attendance that Amy was running hot from her epic tour. A faultless performance all night from her and her ridiculously tight band. Brad Joey and Omar just blew me (and everybody I spoke to) away with their incredible musicality. True masters of their craft and one could be forgiven for mistaking the three piece as easily double that. Amy spoke to the crowd about the tour and that it was suggested to her (prior to it being planned) to “just do the major city’s the head back to the states” (a scenario Gladstone music fans are used to) but Amy’s reply was “fuck that”. This was met with a roar from the crowd and it was at this point I felt like if she wanted to run for Mayor, she would win in a landslide!
The lights dropped midway through the show and Amy Shark stood alone onstage with her guitar to perform a solo performance of “You’ll never meet anyone like me again”. The crowd was hushed by the beauty of the song and the moment. As I watched the crowd I noticed a group of young girls in the crowd pretending to play guitar along with her. Amy was connecting with the crowd in a way that was magical and ensuring that future generations of musicians would recall with joy the moment they realised that THAT was what they wanted to do. From writing songs with Mark Hoppus and Ed Sheeran, collaborating with Travis Barker and Keith Urban yet connecting and talking to the Gladdy crowd like a local really highlighted the magic that is Amy Shark and, without a doubt, I am sure that the eclectic crowd that was in attendance felt this magic from the start to the end of the show.
A powerful cover of Tina Turner’s ”Simply the best” got choral sining happening throughout the crowd while the bass line rattled the Gladstone entertainment centre to its foundations I swear. This was followed up immediately by the killers “Mr Brightside” (again though…..how tight are the band! My God!!!) You know it’s a good show when the bar staff are singing and dancing and this is exactly what was happening in between serving hordes of thirsty punters (I could definitively predict some “sick days” happening on Monday). With brutal honesty Amy stated that “encores are cheesy and predictable” and reassured the crowd that she would be back after she disappeared briefly. The crowd was asked (before she left the stage )to chant her name loudly while they waited and as the light faded, that is exactly what happened. She came back on and closed out the night with some of her biggest hits, finishing with “I said hi” dedicated to those people that didn’t like her music (none of these lowbrow individuals were in attendance at this show thankfully).
Tay’s Say- Amy Shark is a well known artist around the world and works with lots of big names. She is a fun and energetic performer and you could feel the buzz from the crowd in every song she performed. The way she used the stage was done so well; she wasn’t just standing in the one spot the whole time, she was engaging with her audience and her band members. During each song she would connect to the crowd and talk with them. Amy Shark had opened up about some things in her life like a break up and a bad headspace but the way she cleared all that up was through her music and having a close knit band which feels like a family, conveying the message that you are never alone when things get tough. Not only was Amy a great performer but all the members of her band were as well. You could see they were really feeling the music and grooving to each and every song they played. When Amy would converse with the crowd it almost felt like she was a local. Amy is a passionate artist inspiring the younger up-and-coming generation of musicians. She would mention that “there will always be haters out there but you just have to ignore them because they won’t go away and you need to be the bigger person”. She is such an exceptional performer and an Amy Shark concert is one that everyone should experience at least once in their life ( but definitely more than once).
Although it was Amy Shark’s first time in Gladstone ever, it was like she was a local. You could see her performing like this at stadiums all over the world but she spoke and connected like it was a show at RG’s (one of Gladstone’s live music venues). The response she got from the crowd clearly showed that she had made herself a home in their hearts and that she is a welcome addition. Gladdy loved you Aunty Amy, please, please, please do it again sometime.