Live Review: Selena Gomez w/ Dnce @ Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Brisbane fellas, if your lady was MIA last Thursday night it’s likely she was one of the thousands of screaming chicas at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre waiting for Selena Gomez to dominate the stage for the last Aussie show of her ‘Revival World Tour’. The ex-Disney star has faced many speed bumps in making this show possible including the aborted Oz tour three years ago and a nasty case of strep throat, causing her to warn Selenators that day of a possible cancelation. But to fans’ relief Gomez battled these adversities and gave all who came the full five-star treatment.
Kicking off the night was Joe Jonas’ groovy new 4-piece Dnce, who were an explosion of graffiti colours and hipster chic as they owned the stage with an electrified bounce in their step. The 45-minute set included their Maroon 5-esque single Toothbrush, disco dessert Cake By The Ocean, and a funkified mashup of TLC’s No Scrubs and Drake’s Hold On, We’re Going Home.
The quartet weren’t afraid to incorporate daredevil moves into the mix and executed impromptu handstands, stomach bumps, piggybacks, and threw their instruments in the air like twirling batons. Joe’s charismatic leadership and infamous brand as a Jonas Brother made it impossible for the rambunctious gang to do wrong. The ear-piercing crowd were especially delighted during the last song when the hunky frontman jumped offstage and ran up stairs to sing amongst admirers. As Joe re-joined the others on stage Queen’s We Are The Champions blasted through the speakers and Dnce bid the ecstatic audience a final farewell.
Selenators soon broke out into a frenzy of screams as Gomez, donning a slinky black catsuit, sashayed out with her posse of dancers and launched into experimental electro-pop tour titled track Revival. This was followed by the addictive, angst-ridden anthem Same Old Love and flirtatious smash hit Come & Get It. Despite her throat infection Gomez made it clear she would give the night her absolute all. “It’s not going to stop me from singing my heart out ’cause that’s what you deserve!” she declared.
Gomez returned with another shiny, skin-tight outfit for the raunchy Good For You, where she walked slow, intimate circles around one of her shirtless beefcake dancers. The dynamic was raised back up for Survivors as multi-coloured strobe and laser lights pierced the dark and the dance crew implemented full-bodied African movements.
Keep My Hands To Myself was deemed a crowd favourite, but whether it was the song itself or because the male dancers were sliding Gomez across the floor and carrying her around like a pageant queen is anyone’s guess. During her delivery of the reflective power-ballad Who Says she said, “I recorded it when I was 16. Now I’m 24 and I feel I need this song more than I did back then”. The sentiments continued as Gomez explained it was Courtney – her best friend in the entire world’s birthday (Sorry Taylor Swift) and dedicated a mash-up of Hillsong’s Transfiguration and Nobody to her pal.
Playing a baby grand piano, Gomez displayed her vulnerable side before rising up to be joined by her dancers who garnished the number with a contemporary routine while attached together by a gigantic onesie.
The set took on a Latino flavour as two massive inflatable roses appeared and Gomez returned in glittering gold, smashing right into Me & My Girls while raising the heat in Me & The Rhythm. The pop princess resembled a character from a cabaret show as she strutted on stage in a blue sequinned leotard and dragged the mic stand in an exaggerated catwalk, singing a sly, provocative rendition of Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams before the tempo increased and the arrangement belonged more at a Woodstock Festival.
Gomez ended the night with her latest single Kill It With Kindness and a remix of Revival, causing fans to jump out of their seats and sing at the top of their lungs. Gomez, seeming to forget she was sick, appeared to be having the time of her life, laughing with her dancers and showing love to her Selenators one last time before leaving the stage.
The video production was art on it’s own as each song was given a unique, custom-made design to enhance the mood. In addition, glamorous short film interludes featuring the dark-haired beauty were played throughout costume changes, creating a modern art appeal to the show. It may not have been the best vocal performance but in terms of pure entertainment and visual aesthetics, the show was a hard ten!
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