The Cool Calm brought some serious funk and big band grooves early on that got more than just a gentle sway out of a near full-house, and main support William Crighton managed to hush the whole theatre with his a cappella intro song, eschewing even the microphone as he projected his poetic verse across the Forum. It was enough to make your hairs stand on end.
Finally, the stage was cleared, lights were dimmed, and there was that odd hush through the crowd in anticipation. Dan the Man was about to join us with his six-piece band, and boy did they explode out of the blocks. Decked out in his now-synonymous black leather jacket, Sultan burst into his set with the incredibly catchy Magnetic – a highly energetic introduction, befitting of what was to follow.
Epitomising and oozing rock star swagger, it was both impressive and refreshing to see a muso who has worked so hard over the past decade come so far. The Forum is a massive, iconic Melbourne venue, and Sultan completely owned it. His command over the audience was something to behold, effortlessly guiding fans on a journey through his back catalogue with playful banter between each song. You couldn’t help but be charmed by it all.
Several Dan Sultan classics were given a run on the set list, one of the highlights being the singalong to Under Your Skin. However, this was the Killer album tour, and songs off the new album took pride of place. The big rock’n’roll numbers Drover and Hold it Together were particular standouts. But perhaps the most impressive was the anthemic Kingdom. Not sure how many of the thousand-odd people in the theatre have been listening to the album, but it seemed as if just about everyone in the audience knew the song by heart.
The 90-minute set closed out with an encore of perhaps Sultan’s most renowned song Old Fitzroy. A very touching end to a powerful set, with the crowd induced into yet another singalong. The perfect way to wind down from the heavier bluesy-rock throughout, and an evening well-spent.
Highlight: The power of energy unleashed when he played Kingdom.
Lowlight: Knowing the bar manager, and still being charged full price.
Crowd Favourite: Without a doubt, the singalong to Old Fitzroy.
