Lorde at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt.
Camera IconLorde at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt. Credit: News Corp Australia, Christian Gilles

Lorde has all the right moves at her Sydney Opera House concert

Kathy McCabeNews Corp Australia

POP ingenue Lorde opened her Sydney Opera House forecourt concert on Tuesday by remarking how lucky she was to perform against such a wondrous backdrop.

By the end of the 90 minutes, the 5000 plus fans would unanimously insist they had been the lucky ones.

“This is a dancing show,” she said, giving everyone permission to shake their stuff.

And how they danced like nobody was watching, taking their lead from the precociously talented singer songwriter whose performance is entirely movement driven.

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Lorde at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt.
Camera IconLorde at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt. Credit: News Corp Australia, Christian Gilles

While she was flanked at times by two choreographed dancers, Lorde is entirely in the moment of the song when she busts her idiosyncratic moves.

She was rarely still, quickly traversing from one side of the stage to the other, air punching and skipping and strutting and twitching.

As it was for Paul Kelly’s forecourt concerts preceding her two-night stand, it was also a singing show.

Lorde busts a move at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt.
Camera IconLorde busts a move at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt. Credit: News Corp Australia, Christian Gilles

When she launched into one of her first hits Tennis Court, her adoring audience matched her every word with endearing enthusiasm.

And their crowd karaoke continued, the volume slightly louder for the songs from her game-changing debut album Pure Heroine.

There was plenty of love for songs from her chart-topping second album Melodrama including concert opener Homemade Dynamite, Sober and hit single Green Light.

The decidedly avant-garde artist made some concessions to the traditions of the pop concert.

Lorde put on an emotional performance at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt.
Camera IconLorde put on an emotional performance at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt. Credit: News Corp Australia, Christian Gilles

There were costume changes, three in total from a glittery couture tracky to a sequined bra and diaphanous skirt which probably wasn’t but may have been inspired by I Dream Of Jeannie and finally a lime green short set underneath a shimmery see-through jumpsuit.

And the neon light sculptures of an astronaut and a flower arbour were unusual and oh-so-pretty.

She was generously chatty with her audience which was surprisingly eclectic. Mothers and daughters and sons, young couples, old couples, excited groups of 20 something and teen friends, all of them together creating one of the warmest vibes experienced at the forecourt concert series.

Lorde also wore the rainbow flag at one point at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt.
Camera IconLorde also wore the rainbow flag at one point at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt. Credit: News Corp Australia, Christian Gilles

She happily grabbed a rainbow flag to wear as a cape as she sang a bar or two of Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody, telling the crowd “I’m very proud of you.”

And then she got ultra real.

“This is the crying show. This song can be really hard to sing at times ... it’s about a time when I felt really alone,” she said, clearly tearing up and emotional before asking the crowd to wave their phone torches and seguing into the heart string pull of Liability.

They had her back, singing so sweetly in solidarity, reassuring their new best friend from across the Tasman she wasn’t alone on a balmy spring Sydney night.

The energy lifted when the first beats of Royals sounded and the song no one saw coming to redefine postmodern pop music provoked a harmonic communal choir which made you wonder if Lorde fans would beat everyone else in a Pitch Perfect sing off.

Lorde at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt.
Camera IconLorde at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt. Credit: News Corp Australia, Christian Gilles

While there is much to celebrate about her evolution as an artist and performer in just a few short years, and her concert was tailored specifically to match the minimalism of her recordings, at times the backing provided by her two keyboardists and drummer felt too spare.

And it wouldn’t have broken the tour budget to have a couple of backing vocalists instead of Lorde singing along to Lorde on tape.

But those are minor criticisms of a concert which not only pleased but thrilled fans of this wholly unique artist who is almost certain to be one of the highlights of the 2017 ARIA Awards next week.

If she comes close to matching the absolute euphoria of the bouncing, joyful crowd during her hit Green Light, punctuated by green fireworks, then watch out ARIAs.

Lorde performs again at the Sydney Opera House forecourt on Wednesday.

Originally published as Lorde has all the right moves