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DPR Arctic was up first with a big light show and a real club atmosphere. Sitting down was probably not the ideal way to experience this but I did find his 20-25 minute set quite entertaining.
This was especially in contrast to DPR Cream, who had a similar length set, which I just could not get into. His songs are just too repetitive to really land for me.
Finally, the main event - DPR Ian, hometown boy. It's really his show. He had not just the backdrop and lights but also a full band and back-up dancers, and the audience was undoubtedly there for him.
He came on stage with such flair and drama, and with newly dyed blonde hair, and as with his show in 2022 it was such a great set. His vibe for much of this show was somewhat sleazy 80s pop star, in the most positive sense, he seemed to be having such a good time. He just has charisma in buckets, and that's so evident when he performed a couple of songs in the middle of the set stripped back with no dancing, no visuals, just him - but he's equally a showman, theatrical in his approach to the concert experience. He really works hard to put on a show and it pays off. Some songs had fantastic dance solos, others dazzled with lights, the band were amazing. His dancers were cat people for Scaredy Cat! At one point he was wearing wings!
Some fun and interesting bits of crowd banter and ments:
( setlist )
This was especially in contrast to DPR Cream, who had a similar length set, which I just could not get into. His songs are just too repetitive to really land for me.
Finally, the main event - DPR Ian, hometown boy. It's really his show. He had not just the backdrop and lights but also a full band and back-up dancers, and the audience was undoubtedly there for him.
He came on stage with such flair and drama, and with newly dyed blonde hair, and as with his show in 2022 it was such a great set. His vibe for much of this show was somewhat sleazy 80s pop star, in the most positive sense, he seemed to be having such a good time. He just has charisma in buckets, and that's so evident when he performed a couple of songs in the middle of the set stripped back with no dancing, no visuals, just him - but he's equally a showman, theatrical in his approach to the concert experience. He really works hard to put on a show and it pays off. Some songs had fantastic dance solos, others dazzled with lights, the band were amazing. His dancers were cat people for Scaredy Cat! At one point he was wearing wings!
Some fun and interesting bits of crowd banter and ments:
- His family and friends were present including his mum and some people who knew him from school. He said it was a "bit cringe" performing in front of them but also "I know you love me."
- In the lead-in to Peanut Butter and Tears, he told a story about bringing his grandmother's kimchi fried rice to school and sometimes swapping it for sandwiches - segueway to the song - but he also said "I can finally call it a canteen here" after not being able to say this in the USA and elsewhere. For the uninitiated the canteen is the kind of cultural equivalent to the school cafeteria. Also known as a tuckshop.
- While in Sydney he took his mum to see Jesus Christ Superstar and was so impressed at the production and the vocalists.
- He asked the audience if they knew where he went to school. The superfan next to me (incredibly vocal and engaged the entire time lol if I didn't find it cute I would have been annoyed) yelled "WOLLONGONG" and was shook when he said he went to primary school in Lidcombe! Wollongong was later!
- He said it was good to be back after 2 years and referenced that he'd been going through a hard time then. He said Australia gave him energy and that he was thinking of moving back here - "but what would I even do here?" I am going to take this as mere concert banter, I doubt he is moving back lol.
- He played an excerpt from a new song called "I am Nobody" and said this song was about ego death, wanting to be nobody to himself, without ego, so he could be someone to someone else (like us, the audience). He said the next album will be centered on the identity of Ian, rather than Mito or The Hybrid.
- Someone in the audience was holding up some kind of C-Clown reference. He said, "For those who don't know, I used to be… in the circus."
- He did the "Aussie Aussie Aussie" chant, saying he hadn't been planning to do it as it's too cliche!
- He talked about having meat pies and sausage rolls and how the best place to get them was the servo. Also bantered a bit about the Australian way of shortening everything and how people found it weird when he was in the USA.
- At one point he got some fanart from the crowd and showed it up on stage, very sweet.
( setlist )
