REVIEW: Rihanna – Diamonds World Tour, Sydney, October 4

REVIEW: Rihanna – Diamonds World Tour, Sydney, October 4

RihannaThe Star’s Nick Bond thinks Rihanna’s still got it.

Despite a recent reputation for on-stage lateness, Rihanna perhaps understood her fans didn’t want to schlep home from Olympic Park after midnight, so she started the latest show of her Diamonds World Tour a mere 20 minutes late last night.

Even so, things were slow to get off the ground. During the first 45 minutes of the concert, songs flew by thick and fast – none of them hits. It was an oddly structured setlist for an artist who’s built her career on radio smashes, and when she launched into the first proper hit of the evening 11 songs in – the undeniable Rude Boy – the audience instantly warmed.

From there, she was electrifying, making up for lost time by performing many of her best songs in medleys: the excellent Ginuwine-sampling dubstep banger Jump segued into a mass audience singalong for Umbrella, which she quickly followed up with a brief snatch of her hook on the Kanye West single All Of the Lights.

Later in the second half, there were glimpses of much needed inventiveness: break-up ballad Take A Bow seemed to be mashed up with Massive Attack’s Teardrop, with impressive effect.

And you have to respect an artist who decides not to save the hugest song of her entire career – the world-conquering goliath that is We Found Love – for her encore. The track ushered in the night’s most electric set, an exhausting run through Rihanna’s clutch of high-energy pop bangers: S&M, Only Girl (In the World), Don’t Stop the Music; all spectacular.

An aside, though: this reviewer doesn’t care much for complaints about big pop ladies miming on occasion during their concerts. If you get to hear a few ballads sung live by your favourite diva, seems you should allow them to lean on backing tracks when they’re performing their more strenuous dance-heavy numbers. But at least Rihanna’s contemporaries have the good sense to keep their microphones somewhere near their faces while miming. All too often during last night’s show, it was hard not to notice that the pop star held her microphone by her side, as her (pre-recorded) vocals boomed out through the arena.

But as she proved during a surprisingly intimate encore, Rihanna really can sing – sparse ballad Stay was performed entirely live, and her vocals were breathtaking.

 

INFO: Rihanna plays the final night of her Australian tour at Sydney’s Allphones Arena tonight, October 4. Tickets through Ticketek.

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5 responses to “REVIEW: Rihanna – Diamonds World Tour, Sydney, October 4”

  1. LEISA some how i find it hard to believe u were there! If u are a fan u wouldn’t say sh**! Why did u even waste your $ & time? Funny every 1 that happen to be there enjoy it ‘except’ all The ones that weren’t there!! Go 4 a walk & shut the front door!

  2. Hi Sammy thank u…It upset me as I just couldn’t believe what I was reading, all this negativity from some people then positive from others, but being at the concert myself then reading the false articles, tweets etc.was proof to me there are fibbers out there. My daughter is also ‘Sammy’ she enjoyed her 15th b’day & said will love to see Ri again. People need to read or ask ticketek for instructions with time ect. Anyways take care.

  3. HELLO NSW, Im from there, Now reside in Vic, my daughter & I attended the vic concert (not like some out there that never but leave nasty faulse comments) Ri was NOT Late what so ever 5min early to be exact! The entire show was fantastic and there was NO LIPSINKING! People have to stop being bias and be honest really, and if fans are true fans they would know her NEW songs, my hubby bought me her UNAPPOLOGETIC cd when it CAME OUT APPROX 1YR AGO SO HOW COULD THESE “REAL FANS” NOT KNOW THE NEW SONGS, THEY AINT TRUE FANS, MY KIDS KNOW JUST ABOUT EVERY SONG! BY THE WAY THAT IS WHY THE CONCERT WAS CALLED. DIAMONDS WORLD TOUR “NOT” RIHANNA’S GREATEST HITS!!! Seriously dont call yourself a fan if you dont really follow the artist, nor keep up to date! My daughter enjoyed her 15th b’day & so did i my 18yo son also enjoys & knows her new songs! All i can say is Australia is embarrassing all of us with stupid remarks & comments, then wonder why no artists want to come back, oh by the way all the wingers out there if they read tickets properly they would not have to accuse people of being late, eg; Vic concert doors open 630pm,support act plays from 730pm till 830pm,change over of stage & Ri starts 9pm SHE WAS NOT LATE! As people commented she was 80min late previous night NOT TRUE PEOPLE NEED TO READ INSTRUCTIONS ON TICKET PROVIDES SITE ON DAY OF CONCERT TO STOP CONFUSION! Or really stop being trolls & fibbers… Will be going again….