Sam Smith tour: Fighting fit and more than delivering

THE moment Sam Smith’s flawless first note echoed throughout Perth Arena, the British star proved he was well and truly worth the wait.

Sam Smith Perth Arena show.

THE moment Sam Smith’s flawless first note echoed throughout Perth Arena, the British star proved he was well and truly worth the wait.

Vowing to pour everything he had into his signature sounds on Saturday night after being forced to cancel his scheduled Perth performance back in April, the singer kicked off the final leg of his In the Lonely Hour tour in spectacular fashion — with a goose bump-inducing rendition of Life Support.

Having undergone surgery to repair a haemorrhage on his vocal cords merely months ago, Smith was now in fighting fit condition and ready to deliver a stunning set.

“I sincerely apologise for cancelling the last one but I’m here now and I’m going to sing as hard as I can,” he said on stage.

Back on stage ... Sam Smith performs at the Perth Arena after returning from surgery.

Picture: NewsCorp

Picture: NewsCorp.

And sing hard he did — Smith’s vocal range is utterly otherworldly in a live setting and he never drops a note.

While creating intimacy in an arena setting is no easy feate, early inclusions such as Leave Your Lover, I Know I’m Not the Only One and I’ve Told You Now demonstrated his rare gift for conveying the depth of emotion usually only present when an artist first pens a song.

Smith effortlessly tugged at the heartstrings of thousands and the audience’s simultaneous experience of excitement, despair, joy, sentiment and sorrow translated into deafening screams of approval.

Back on stage ... Sam Smith at the Perth Arena. Picture: NewsCorp

“I can’t get over how loud you are — do carry on,” Smith said, flashing a big grin.

Smith is the perfect gentleman and the sheer joy apparent on his face as he performs is both charming and infectious — there is something so special seeing an artist revel in his work in this way.

While Lay Me Down provoked more than a few tears in the crowd, the likes of Like I Can, La La La and Money on My Mind had them dancing and singing at the top of their lungs.

The collective emotion during the perfect three-song encore of Latch, Make it to Me and Stay with Me was palpable and certainly sealed the deal on the special connection between the crowd and Smith himself.

View from the gallery ... Fans at the Sam Smith performance. Picture: NewsCorp

“Thank you so much — this is so overwhelming for me,” he said as the audience rose to their feet and erupted in applause.

“I know I shouldn’t say this but this has genuinely been one of the most amazing shows I’ve ever played.”

It’s astonishing to think that Smith is just 23-years-old and has just one album behind him — it makes it that much more exciting to think about what is yet to come.

Smith next performs in Adelaide on Tuesday before shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Originally published as Sam Smith tour: Fighting fit and more than delivering