First Sam Smith concert review as they kick off Australian tour

The first review is in as Sam Smith kicks off Aussie tour to a sold-out Adelaide crowd.

• GALLERY: Were you snapped at the concert?

Utterly joyful, utterly at ease in their skin, utterly Gloria-ous.

UK singer Sam Smith kicked off their Australian tour to a sold-out, jam-packed Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Saturday night.

From the moment they were raised on to the stage, with a broad smile, looking almost Shakespearean with their beard and slightly flicked up moustache, wearing an intricately embellished golden corset, dripping with crystals and pearls – they had the Adelaide crowd in the palm of their hands.

Smith’s mellifluous voice never faltered once from the first song – the breakout hit Stay With Me from their first album – to the end of the 100-minute concert.

Standing in front of the giant gold statue of a reclining body draped across the stage, Smith said how much they loved Adelaide.

“Honestly coming on stage and seeing all of you and feeling you – you made me all emotional.

“Welcome, welcome, welcome every single one of you to the Gloria Tour.”

Sam Smith kicked off the final leg of their Gloria tour at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre. Picture: Kelly Barnes

Reminding the crowd that this was the beginning of the last seven shows of the global tour, Smith said “you’re lucky as f. k … we’re going to give you everything we have.” They went on to thank their loyal audiences for sticking by them, waiting for five long years for them to return – aside from their intimate – and controversial – one-off performance at The Cube in McLaren Vale in January. And encouraged the excited crowd, many wearing illuminated devil horns, to just have fun.

“This show is really about one thing – it’s about freedom – so please Adelaide, for me, have fun and enjoy,” Smith said.

“Let’s sing, Let’s dance – take your tops off if you want …”

From the lighting to Smith’s band and back-up singers, and the fabulous costumes – which also included a pink tulle extravaganza which looked like it could have come from Adelaide designer Cristina Tridente’s Couture Love Madness line, but actually was from Japanese fashion designer Tomo Koizumi, – there was not a single misstep.

The Gloria Tour, which kicked off in the UK in April, is a hell of a show. Split into three parts, Love, Beauty and Sex, the show takes in hit tracks from all of Smith’s albums, from I Know I’m Not The Only One, Dancing With A Stranger, Gimme and Perfect to covers of Donna Summer’s I Feel Love, Madonna’s Human Nature and Des’ree’s I’m Kissing You.

Sam Smith in front of the giant gold statue of a body reclining across the stage at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, 28th Oct 2023 Picture: Kelly Barnes

That was the night’s most poignant moment, as Smith stood centre stage, in another dazzling sparkling gown, created by designer, Christian Cowan, their soaring vocals once again perfect.

It ramps up in tempo and pace, and soon we’re back in their gay bar, with dancers and Smith writhing to their tracks Gimme and Lose You. There’s a few costume changes before the climax – quite literally – by Smith’s encore. It’s provocatively – and accurately – titled Sex.

“This is the climax, let’s ignite,” a voiceover declares. Smith appears draped entirely in white fabric for the tour’s choral title track, Gloria.

Then the virgin bride moment is over, Smith has stripped to underwear and boots for a raunchy rendition of Unholy, their 2022 collaboration with German pop artist Kim Petras for which Smith won their fifth Grammy.

Smith struts across the stage wearing nipple clamps, leather G string, fishnets, and thigh-high platform boots. Before they “transform” into a devil persona, complete with horns and pitchfork, while flames lick the gold body statue.

It’s clear Smith is having a one helluva good time. As are the rest of us watching on.

Adelaide Entertainment Centre Set List

ACT I: LOVE

1. Stay With Me

2. I Know I’m Not The Only One

3. Like I Can

4. Too Good At Goodbyes

5. Perfect

6. Diamonds

7. How Do You Sleep?

8. Dancing With A Stranger

ACT II: Beauty

9. I’m Kissing You (Des’ree cover)

10. Lay Me Down

11. Love Goes

12. Gimme

13. Lose You

14. Promises

15. I’m Not Here To Make Friends (with He’s The Greatest Dancer)

16. Latch

17. I Feel Love (Donna Summer cover)

ACT III: Sex

18. Gloria

19. Human Nature (Madonna cover)

20. Unholy (Sam Smith ft. Kim Petras)