OneRepublic did their only Sydney concert on Tuesday 12 November 2013 at The Star (Casino).
Let me first talk about the venue - The Star, formerly know as the Star Casino in Pyrmont.
The entry system was a shambles. Teenagers might be used to confusion at concert entrances, but not seasoned concert goers. The staff didn't know when the doors opened, they couldn't direct people properly, they led people along paths that only gave other people the opportunity to queue jump. The tickets said '7pm'. Normally that means the show starts at 7pm. This time it meant the doors opened at 7pm. Actually, they opened 10 minutes late. Zero out of 10 for the venue front-of-house.
The opening act was a young female singer with three musicians. She was apparently a contestant from one of the series of The Voice, but I didn't recognise her. She was quite good with a melodic voice but was very awkward when trying to connect with the audience.
OneRepublic were sublime. They gave an absolute powerhouse performance, especially front man Ryan Tedder. He has an incredible voice that seems to have no limits. He is also quite a personality on stage, knowing how much is just enough to speak. He is also a brilliant musician, playing several key instruments during the performance. And a great song writer as well.
The other members of the band did their job perfectly.
This was a faultless performance. No overblown light show. Just the right mix of acoustic numbers and driving rock. A good mix of new numbers as well as their popular radio hits, including my favourites Stop And Stare and Something I Need.
The sound quality was quite good. Even at the loudest moments, there was little distortion.
I would also like to mention The Star's attitude towards people's wellbeing.
No food or drink was allowed in the venue - not even water. But you could buy drink in there, including beer in plastic cups. Before OneRepublic came on, some security guards were throwing water bottles out to the front of the mosh pit. So if you were a tall male at the very front you were hydrated. Several young girls fainted during the night. What's the point of not letting people bring in fluids, even water, when you can buy them in there, and also throwing them to the audience (a safety risk in itself)? This is a policy that should be reviewed urgently, but I'm sure will be ignored.
The venue - a big fail. OneRepublic - excellent.
