‘Old school showmanship’: Bruno Mars rocks at Sydney concert

The Uptown Funk superstar may have been the perfect choice to signal to the world that Sydney has a new stadium venue open for business.

Pop superstar Bruno Mars proved there may be no sweeter sound than inspiring 40,000 voices to sing along to some of the smoothest hits of the past decade.

The 24k Magic pop superstar was enlisted to test the concert credentials of Sydney’s new $830 million Allianz Stadium on Friday with the first of two exclusive big gigs.

There were the ubiquitous bells and whistles, blasts of pyro and lasers, the blueprint of a big gig.

But Mars does it differently.

He brings old school showmanship; the Treasure pop star and his crew shone brighter than the blasts and their musicianship provoked the loudest roars at the outdoor extravaganza.

@BrunoMars putting #AllianzStadium through it’s paces. Bringing big Friday night vibes to Sydney town pic.twitter.com/pQPg9Iouqv

— Kathy McCabe (@McCabeRadar) October 14, 2022

Mars is a multi-billion streamer and a studio hitmaker with the Midas touch - Locked Out Of Heaven, Uptown Funk, Grenade, When I Was Your Man, That’s What I Like.

Out of the studio and on the world’s biggest stages, he is one of the greatest performers of the modern pop era.

Mars had the crowd screaming from the opening seconds with his airtight choreography and a show designed with the DNA of Motown’s soul and r&b groups through to dancehall reggae and dub.

MOONSHINE???? AHHAISIOWW #brunomarspic.twitter.com/9xPBXXPOT1

— amaya ☼ (@xhooliganmarsx) October 14, 2022

And he had them up on their feet early, always a fraught contract with a stadium audience told to get up out of their seats by the artist and to sit down by security.

He brought some Australian flavour to the show not only with an Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi chant but a snippet of the Bee Gees hit How Deep Is Your Love as a mash up with his top 10 hit Marry Me.

Moonshine take us to the stars tonight 😭🥹 #BrunoMarspic.twitter.com/cnGCpMmXIS

— NAH!!!👑 (@hannahsonic14) October 14, 2022

Mars tried to get the crowd to voluntarily stow their phones - as he did involuntarily at this year’s Las Vegas residency for his side project Silk Sonic.

“Put that shit away and dance,” he suggested.

But that was always going to be a losing battle at a big outdoor show and would have robbed the crowd of the still gorgeous sight of phone lights blinking in a packed stadium.

The Uptown Funk superstar may have been the perfect choice to signal to the world that Sydney has a new stadium venue open for business, one that will host Elton John for some of the final shows on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road in January.