Rihanna concert sex by numbers

IT was pure sex on display at Rihanna's concert.

Rihanna opened the Australian leg of her Diamonds World Tour with a transfixing set at the Perth Arena on Tuesday. Picture: AP

ARRIVING nearly 40 minutes late, Rihanna appeared at the very front of the stage dressed as a nun and kneeling before a statue in a chapel setting to sing Mother Mary. The tardy entrance didn't build tension so much as draw energy. As the song concluded, the 25-year-old Barbadian beauty moved through the chapel's doors to the back of her giant stage for the first of many costume changes while the intimate setting was transformed to a massive house of love.

The next glimpse of Rihanna came after she had stripped down for Phresh Out the Runway and the song title pretty much described the star as she patted and pointed to her genital area. This move would be repeated many times and the raunch factor never let up during her 100-minute set.

Rihanna shook her tail feather in a manner that could have knocked Miley Cyrus back to pony riding classes. It was pure sex on display and the singer's shapely form - and the costumes that highlighted every inch of it - meant it was practically impossible to take your eyes off her. Her dancers didn't stand a chance as the star demanded all the attention. Even with a mullet that would not have been out of place in Joe Dirt, Rihanna had a transfixing, if unengaging, presence.

The big-budget production offered much to see and hear, including lasers and firebombs that heated up what was already a hot room. Unfortunately, a hit-and-miss sound mix jarred with the precision of the visual spectacular at times. Rihanna and her four-piece band, including ex-Extreme guitar player Nuno Bettencourt, battled on but too often she could barely be heard above her players.

The key to the success of the night was in the pacing. Rihanna delivered more than two dozen songs and allowed none to overstay its welcome. She offered her hits with Kanye West (All of the Lights), Eminem (Love the Way You Lie) and Ne-Yo (Hate That I Love You) as if they'd never been involved. She squeezed in favourites such as Umbrella, S&M and You Da One into a set firmly focused on her latest album, Unapologetic. In the almost sold-out arena, the somewhat subdued crowd owned the chorus of What Now, bringing some much-needed energy that lasted to the end and a two-song encore. On a work night, Rihanna got the job done, no more, no less.

Adelaide, tonight; Brisbane, Saturday; Melbourne, September 30-October 1; Sydney, October 3-4.

MUSIC
Rihanna
Perth Arena, September 24.