Harry’s House is the place to be – why Harry Styles is the future of live music

May 31, 2022 ~ nataliehannan ~ Leave a comment

Some say Harry Styles is a sign of the times, but Harry is the future and we’re all lucky to be witnessing it.

I’ve been fortunate enough to see Harry live multiple times – both with One Direction and as a solo-artist – but what impresses me the most are the ways in which Harry manages to stay authentic whilst pushing the boundaries of live music.

The British singer’s latest album ‘Harry’s House’ has skyrocketed to #1 in over 60 countries and the live performances of his new songs have gone viral on social media. Fans have been braving Ticketmaster queues to get a glimpse of Harry on stage, and those that were lucky enough to score tickets were treated to one of the most memorable experiences.

Harry Styles has been championing an innovative live music format which I believe, in the future, will become the norm for many other musicians. Upon the release of Harry’s two most recent albums – ‘Fine Line’ and ‘Harry’s House’ – the singer announced “One Night Only” shows in select locations (Los Angeles, New York, and London) with tickets costing approx. $25 and promising fans a performance of the new album from top to bottom. Every song on the album… performed live… for the first and realistically, the last time.

When artists tour, it’s common for setlists to be compiled of their most successful hits with a couple of album deep-cuts scattered in between. With Harry allowing fans to hear the new album in its entirety, the experience becomes more valuable than you can imagine. During the concert, Harry spoke of how much he adored this live music format and ability for him to perform his albums in “the way it was intended, from start to finish.”

‘Harry Styles: One Night Only’ in New York occurred on the release day of ‘Harry’s House’ and left the singer speechless, as fans in attendance already knew the words to the new songs, memorising them in under 24 hours. When in London a week later, fans sang the lyrics even louder, to Harry’s amazement. It was beautiful to witness the awe on Harry’s face, and joy evident amongst the crowd.

In the age of livestreams, an in-demand concert like Harry’s becomes prime opportunity for a global viewing party. Whilst many Harry Styles fans have often taken it upon themselves to livestream his shows themselves on Twitter or Instagram, Apple Music recently jumped on the bandwagon. For the first time, Harry’s ‘One Night Only’ in New York concert was livestreamed with an official broadcaster, available on the Apple Music platform live, and for additional screenings in the following days.

The demand of this livestream was notable, as fans livestreamed the Apple Music livestream for those who aren’t Apple Music subscribers. Fans used Twitter and Twitch to achieve this, ensuring that no Harry Styles fan missed out on the experience.

Harry Styles creates a safe space for fans to express themselves, whether they’re physically in attendance at a show or watching live from the comfort of their bed. Becoming famous for delivering a heartfelt speech each show, Harry always says, “feel free to be whoever you want to be” and advocates for the LGBTQI+ community, as well as the Black Lives Matter movement – waving flags supporting the causes on stage at every show. His song “Treat People with Kindness” is the motto, branded on merchandise and preached from the beginning of his solo career. The love and support that radiates from Harry shines brightly back at him from the crowd, with an undeniable understanding existing between the singer and his fanbase.

With the future in mind, Harry Styles is also an advocate for charity, climate change and gun control.

In the bid to end gun violence, Harry recently pledged a $1 million donation from ticket sales for his upcoming, sold-out ‘Love on Tour 2022’ US tour to Everytown. The organisation works to achieve gun safety and the end of gun-related violence. Despite this action being prompted by the devastating mass-shootings occurring in America recently, Harry has always been passionate about the cause, displaying an “end gun violence” sticker on his guitar while performing in 2018.

Supporting charities and organisations isn’t new for Harry, who also raised $1.2 million on his 2018 tour, donating funds to local charities along every leg of his worldwide tour.

Harry also aims to create tours that are sustainable, conscious of the impacts of climate change. Partnering with REVERB, ‘Love on Tour’ featured an “Action Village” that enabled fans to ‘join Harry in working toward a better future for our planet and communities around the world.’ Reusable bottles with free water refill stations were promoted to avoid single-use plastics – an effort in place for fans, crew, and Harry. The tour prioritised waste reduction, waste diversion and carbon elimination and REVERBS’s impact report details the positive impact this climate-focused tour had.

World tours that focus on climate change and sustainability will become more prevalent over the next five years, with artists such as Billie Eilish, Coldplay and Shawn Mendes already following in Harry’s footsteps. Live music has always been a place to raise awareness, and funds, for communities that suffer the consequence of climate disasters and devastating incidents. Benefit concerts, from Live Aid (1985) to FireFight (2020) prove that fundraising initiatives based around live-music events positively impact the world we live in. When broadcast globally awareness is spread, as is the opportunity for international viewers to donate and support communities that so desperately need help.

The spirit of these one-off events is honoured in Harry Styles’ tours and can be felt every time a fan buys a ticket to his shows. It can be felt every time Harry takes to the stage.

Harry Styles is the future. There is no doubt about it. Over the next five years, more artists will follow in his footsteps, creating tours that are safe spaces for fans, sustainable and focused on the future. Charity organisations promoting important causes will be highlighted more in the live music scene, encouraging donations and awareness that promotes further action. The live-music scene will also benefit from “One Night Only” style concerns that celebrate music for what it is, a magical art form that unites people all over the world. Having the opportunity to listen to your favourite album performed live, from beginning to end, will re-define what it means for an artist to release an album.

Harry Styles will be at the forefront of future live music changes and the world will be a better place for it.

@dualipa has always been the one 👑 it's been so special to see you blossom as the superstar you are 💫 from a room of a few hundred in Newtown Social Club, to a sold out arena last night in Sydney. I love you, your music, and can't wait to see you live again soon! 💖💖💖 #DuaLipa #FutureNostalgia #FutureNostalgiaTour #BeTheOne

Harry Styles is the future of live music and Harry's House is the place to be 💫

I'm constantly in awe of @bts.bighitofficial - their talent and ability to unite fans globally 🧡💫

Can't believe it's been 4 years since I last saw @harrystyles live in Sydney and captured these videos on my camera 😍

ARE YOU READY TO BE HAPPIER THAN EVER!? 😍🔥

ARE YOU READY FOR HARRYCHELLA ROUND 2!? 😍🔥

COUCHELLA - when you're not physically in the desert, so you enjoy Coachella via livestream from the comfort of your couch 🎉💃

YEEHAW! STAGECOACH 2022 IS NOW LIVESTREAMING ON YOUTUBE

April 30, 2022 ~ nataliehannan ~ Leave a comment

Feeling the post-festival blues after back-to-back Coachella weekends?

Well, giddy up, because country music lovers are being treated to livestreams from Stagecoach all weekend long!

Making history, the 2022 edition of California’s country music festival is the first to receive the livestream treatment – and I have a feeling it won’t be the last!

Over the next three days, YouTube will be streaming live sets from the likes of Carrie Underwood, Thomas Rhett, Maren Morris, Luke Combs, Orville Peck, Diplo and more.

To see these incredible artists perform in the desert, tune into the stream embedded below:

The description of the livestream video has the full line-up listed, as well as the set times for each performance.

Remember, be sure to convert set times into your local time zone, otherwise you could find yourself missing your favourite act! The livestream channel descriptions have updated set times (PT time) when experiencing delays.

COUCHELLA RETURNS – HOW TO JOIN THE ACTION FROM COACHELLA 2022 WEEKEND 2

April 23, 2022April 25, 2022 ~ nataliehannan ~ Leave a comment

Are you ready to experience Coachella all over again?

Weekend 2 has kicked off and to prove that Coachella 2022 is bigger and better than ever, YouTube has extra access to all the best performances and is treating fans to an extra weekend of livestreams!

And you know what? I guarantee you’ll have the best seat in the house…
That’s why I call it Couchella – enjoying all the action of Coachella, from the comfort of your couch!

While majority of the acts on the line up will be featured in “Coachella Curated” and “Bonus Sets” – highlights reels from Weekend 2 of the festival – there are plenty of full performances that will be livestreamed, including the main headliners, of course!

Over the course of the weekend you can catch entire Weekend 2 sets from Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, The Weeknd, Swedish House Mafia, Doja Cat, Anitta and plenty more acts performing on the biggest stages in the desert.

Coachella is streaming performances and highlights live across 3 YouTube channels, giving you the choice of multiple stages to float between. Below I’ll embed the 3 YouTube channels you need to be all over. The set times for each performance can be found in the YouTube channel descriptions.

Channel 1 features the full sets from headliners, so if you’re desperate to see Harry, Billie, Doja Cat and The Weeknd + Swedish House Mafia, keep Channel 1 open!

Remember, be sure to convert set times into your local time zone, otherwise you could find yourself missing your favourite act! The livestream channel descriptions have updated set times (PT time) when experiencing delays.
Last weekend there was an approx. half hour delay.

Couchella 2022 – Day 3 of Coachella is calling, one last time

April 18, 2022April 18, 2022 ~ nataliehannan ~ Leave a comment

The final moments of a multi-day festival are always bittersweet. Part of you is exhausted, simply wanting a comfortable bed for a long night’s sleep, and yet another part of you never wants the euphoria from the experience to end.

If you’re not in the Palm Springs desert for Coachella 2022, you’re in luck, because you can get the best of both worlds and enjoy the final festival day from bed, or the couch…

And that’s why I call it Couchella – enjoying all the magic of Coachella, from the comfort of your couch!

In some ways Coachella has saved the best for last, with Day 3 promising to make history as Swedish House Mafia will be reuniting on stage with The Weeknd for a powerhouse conclusion to the festival. If that’s not enough to get you pumped, you’ll also be treated to incredible performances from Doja Cat, Finneas, Maggie Rogers, Kim Petras, Maneskin, Joji, Fred Again, Duke Dumont and Denzel Curry.

Coachella is streaming these performances and plenty more live across 3 YouTube channels, giving you the choice of 3 stages to float between. Below I’ll embed the 3 YouTube channels you need to be all over, as well as the set times Coachella has released for the Sunday sets.

Remember, be sure to convert set times into your local time zone, otherwise you could find yourself missing your favourite act! The livestream channel descriptions have updated set times (PT time) when experiencing delays.
If you find yourself busy when your favourite act is performing, the YouTube channel also rebroadcasts the livestream.

Enjoy the final day of Coachella, and I hope Weekend One of this iconic music festival has been just as impressive for you, as it has been for me!

Seriously, I don’t think I’ll ever get over Harry Styles performing with Shania Twain!

Couchella Continues – I’m ready for day two, are you?

April 17, 2022 ~ nataliehannan ~ Leave a comment

How’s everyone feeling? Feet sore? Head pounding?

Despite my engagement with Coachella being from sunny, Australia and not the Californian desert, I have to admit that “Couchella” wasn’t all that accurately describing the experience yesterday. As always, we found ourselves dancing non-stop, especially to Louis the Child, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Harry Styles’ (AND SHANIA TWAIN!) Coachella sets.

And yet that’s the joy of livestreams, you can enjoy them on your laptop in bed, on your phone as go about your day, or like myself, you can broadcast the stream on a giant screen and make the event a party like no other!

Coachella 2022 sure is making up for the two years the world went without the iconic, Palm Springs music festival.
Day 1 saw enormous crowds flocking to stages to see the likes of Harry Styles (AND SHANIA TWAIN!) performing to hundreds of thousands in the desert…. and don’t even get me started on how many international fans would’ve been tuning in via livestream.

Now would probably be a good time for me to profess my undying love and gratitude for Coachella and YouTube, for making high quality livestreams available for everyone to enjoy the festival as if they were front row.

So, who’s ready for Day 2!?
I’ve got a feeling we’re going to be happier than ever by the time the sun sets…

We’re gearing up for more good times as Billie Eilish, Megan Thee Stallion, Flume, Disclosure, Wallows, Conan Gray, BROCKHAMPTON, Koffee, girl in red, Rina Sawayama, Caroline Polachek and more take to the stage (and livestreams).

I wish I was able to catch Holly Humberstone and Arlo Parks’ sets, but Coachella unfortunately isn’t airing them.

Coachella is streaming performances live across 3 YouTube channels, giving you the choice of 3 stages to float between. Below I’ll embed the 3 YouTube channels you need to be all over, as well as the set times Coachella has released for Saturdays sets.

COUCHELLA 2022 – THE COACHELLA WEEKEND BEGINS

April 16, 2022 ~ nataliehannan ~ Leave a comment

If you can’t already tell from my previous Lovers of Live content, I love live music and having the ability to watch international concerts and festivals via livestreams. This weekend, my plans entail just that, because Coachella 2022 has officially kicked off and YouTube is giving us front row access to all the best performers at the festival!

I call it Couchella – enjoying all the action of Coachella, from the comfort of your couch!

Weekend 1 (15 – 17th April) is officially underway, which is the main livestream event. During these dates, Coachella will be streaming performances live across 3 YouTube channels, giving you the choice of 3 stages to float between. Weekend Two (22 – 24th April) will also feature a YouTube livestream, however it seems the content will differ, showing highlights and features as opposed to the live performances happening at that very moment in the desert.

You know what that means? If you want to catch your favourite artist live, STREAM THIS WEEKEND!

Starting with Day 1, I’m beyond excited to see performances from Harry Styles, Lane 8, Louis the Child, Phoebe Bridgers, The Avalanches, Anitta, Carly Rae Jepsen, The Regrettes…and so many more! One perk of livestreams is the fact that I won’t need to run between stages to catch acts that clash…I can simply switch tabs!

Below I’ll embed the 3 YouTube channels you need to be all over, as well as the set times Coachella has released for the 2022 Weekend 1 timetable.

Remember to factor in global time differences if you’re referring to the Coachella set times, as they’re in PT time!

Spacey Jane bring Sunlight to The Enmore Theatre

June 4, 2021June 4, 2021 ~ nataliehannan ~ 1 Comment

The sun is finally rising after the live music blackout we experienced in 2020 due to COVID-19 and Spacey Jane have been at the forefront of the live music scene’s revival.

Off the back of releasing their debut album ‘Sunlight’ (which was released during the pandemic and still managed to score #2 on the ARIA charts), Spacey Jane embarked on a national tour of Australia, with 2021 dates in high demand across every state.

The Perth band managed to sell out a six-show run at The Enmore Theatre in Newtown – Sydney, Australia – with more fans being welcomed through the doors of the iconic venue as COVID restrictions continue to ease.

Fortunately, I scored tickets to the final night of their historic Enmore run, and it was a euphoric experience from beginning to end!

Spacey Jane are one of the most captivating bands I’ve seen perform live. The liveliness of Caleb Harper, Ashton Le Cornu, Peppa Lane and Kieran Lama is downright infectious. After opening the show with ‘Skin’ the band soared through their setlist and didn’t leave any corner of the stage untouched – jumping and high kicking their way through the 80-minute set.

‘Good Grief’ and ‘Weightless’ were standouts, garnering huge reactions from the audience before the energy levels increased tenfold as the Perth band teased an unreleased song, due to be released next month, before playing ‘Straightfaced’, ‘Head Cold’, and ‘Booster Seat’ back-to-back towards the conclusion of the set.

After chants of “ONE MORE SONG!” erupted amongst the fans, Spacey Jane returned to the stage to deliver, matching the electricity in the crowd with their own excitement to be on stage – or not on stage, since Caleb Harper and Ashton Le Cornu eagerly jumped into the front row to perform parts of the set!

Their encore consisted of ‘Thrills’ and ‘Good For You’, which concluded the show on a high and utilised every ounce of production value the stage had been equipped for.

The impressive production and lighting was complemented by the recent renovations the venue has received. During the COVID lockdowns of 2020 (and consequently, the live music blackout) the Enmore restored side-wing balconies as extra seating options for the audience. The refurbishment also included a makeover of the theatre’s roof – now featuring art deco designs and LED lighting that reportedly, can be synced with the stage production.

Whilst this didn’t act as part of the band’s production on Wednesday evening, the atmosphere in the Enmore was electric

If you’ve missed the energy of the crowd, a Spacey Jane gig is the place you need to be. The fans that filled the Enmore were lively, albeit a little rowdy – with vape smoke filling the air and a loudly, proudly sung chorus of ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)’ by Abba acting as the perfect pre-gig warm up. Their eagerness to sing every word as Spacey Jane performed their debut album was enough to induce goose bumps.

Spacey Jane are leaving an array of warmth and light in their path as they finally experience the full level of appreciation that their fans have for them. It had been a long time coming, seeing Space Jane perform live at The Enmore Theatre. A long time coming for myself, and fans, but also for the band themselves. COVID-19 outbreaks and associated restrictions saw concert dates being postponed regularly, before more bad luck struck the group as lead vocalist Caleb Harper lost his voice, forcing more tour dates to be rescheduled upon doctor’s orders.

It had been a long time coming…and it was well worth the wait.

After COVID made the absence of live music the norm, walking into The Enmore Theatre felt like coming home. The iconic venue has seen the likes of The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan… and even Harry Styles (with Stevie Nicks in attendance!) take to the stage in front of a full house. The six-show run Spacey Jane booked at The Enmore is impressive, reminiscent of Gang of Youths’ roaring success with their own six-show run at the venue in 2018.

Caleb referred to this, revealing that when the band first arrived in Sydney from Perth, they roamed the streets of Newtown and saw the tour posters promoting Gang of Youths’ upcoming gigs at The Enmore. He said it was in that moment the band discovered the beauty of the venue and their desire to perform there in the future. And that they did!

There’s no doubt in my mind that Spacey Jane will return to The Enmore, or easily sell out even larger venues in Sydney during their next lap around the sun. After all, Spacey Jane encompass everything their debut album projects – sunlight. After a year without live music, without dancing…Spacey Jane brought the sun and chased away any dark clouds lingering post-COVID. They reminded everyone in that room, including myself, of all the dreams we are yet to achieve, all the fun still to be had.

I can’t wait to see them live again soon!

To see more from Lovers of Live, check out the most recent articles and live music content on Instagram!

Imagine Dragons – World IBD Day

May 18, 2021June 4, 2021 ~ nataliehannan ~ Leave a comment

There are special live music experiences that go beyond the music, the production, the venue. Some live music experiences feel like an accumulation of all your hopes and dreams, the journey you’ve travelled through life. You hold those moments close to your chest, and never want to lose the feeling that overcomes you during the set. It feels like magic.

Seeing Imagine Dragons live felt like magic.
It was the 19^th May, 2019.
It was World IBD Day 2019.

To be completely vulnerable, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease in 2012.
Dan Reynolds – the lead singer of Imagine Dragons – is diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis.
World IBD Day celebrates the IBD warriors battling Crohn’s & Colitis, whilst aiming to raise much needed awareness for these invisible illnesses.

To celebrate World IBD Day 2021, I’m going to write about how seeing Imagine Dragons live on World IBD Day 2019 impacted me.

Imagine Dragons have always mastered the art of creating joyful music that empowers, inspires and makes you literally feel On Top of the World.

The world they create for their live shows is nothing short of euphoric. With neon lighting, copious amounts of confetti and larger than life beach balls falling from the sky to pass around – you’re always feeling engaged and united with the band, and the crowd around you. Dan Reynolds’ happiness is contagious as he dances around the stage with an energy that never waivers.

Fans scream the lyrics at the top of their lungs and try their best to interact with Reynolds as he jumps off stage and runs through the crowd – without security too. It’s an incredible atmosphere where you feel free to be your most authentic self.

The beauty of this though, is that it’s not without the acknowledgement of the darkness and struggles we experience in life.

Dan Reynolds dedicates moments of the show to speak about his struggles with mental health. I can honestly say, the speech he shared with the crowd at my show was the most vulnerable I have ever witnessed an artist be on stage. I cried. He reassured the audience that it’s OK not to be OK. He spoke candidly about therapy, of taking time to heal and better yourself. He spoke of the importance of health.

As someone who has experienced similar struggles, I felt seen. Being diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease changed my life forever. The physical and mental pain, the isolation, the trauma…it was debilitating. Live music has always been a source of hope and light for me. To have overcome my struggles and be sitting in a crowd of thousands, witnessing Imagine Dragons ignite hope and light in the hearts of the crowd, on World IBD Day of all days…speechless.

To be sharing the momentous occasion with Dan Reynolds, it felt triumphant. I felt empowered and accepted. I felt understood. It’s rare that a performer on stage, who travels the world for their job and is put on a pedestal by many, can ground themselves and speak on a level that relates to all.

I’m so grateful for Imagine Dragons; for their inspiring lyrics, for the safe space they create for fans and most importantly, for their brave front man, Dan Reynolds – who is unafraid to be himself, unafraid to be vulnerable. Dan Reynolds is someone who uses his platform to reassure fans that we can do Whatever It Takes to overcome our challenges and that life is worth celebrating.

To learn more about Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis and see how you can show your support for World IBD Day 2021, please visit Crohn’s and Colitis Australia.

To see more from Lovers of Live, check out the most recent articles and live music content on Instagram!

Yours and Owls 2021

April 20, 2021April 21, 2021 ~ nataliehannan ~ 3 Comments

Music festivals are back baby!

Yours and Owls 2021 will go down in history, marking the return of music festivals on a scale that has not been seen in New South Wales, Australia since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The two-day event which took place over April 17^th and 18^th, celebrated its temporary home in Thomas Dalton Park, Wollongong, hosting approx. 14, 000 music lovers in a COVID-safe manner.

What does a COVID-safe festival look like? A little like this.

Yours and Owls 2021 was classified as a seated event, ensuring the social distancing guidelines as imposed by the NSW Government could be adhered to. To further protect attendees, the festival was divided into four zones, a capacity of approx. 3500 people in each, with state-of-the-art staging constructed in the centre.

To ensure all attendees had prime views of the performances, two stages were utilised – the “Yours” stage and the “Owls” stage. Performances were staggered across both, alternating by the hour. It made me nostalgic for Big Day Out, which adhered to a similar setup, proving to be effective. What was unique about the Yours and Owls setup was the function of the stages. Each stage featured rotating mechanisms, ensuring every angle of the festival, and crowd, could be played to. This was necessary, given the layout of the zones.

Despite being classified as a seated event, attendees could roam their zones to enjoy the food vendors, bars, and local “Rad” stage.

Most importantly? Dancing was given the tick of approval from the NSW Government in the weeks leading up to the festival. This made the weekend incredibly fun…and chaotic. Unfortunately, (and somewhat understandably) being restricted to socially distanced rows of seats is not the ideal dancing layout for festivalgoers. Countless people packed into the aisles and front sections, creating mosh pits during performances and essentially, throwing all social distancing rules out the window.

These actions resulted in multiple sets being interrupted and effectively, cut short by as much as approx. 15 minutes, whilst organisers took to the stage telling everyone to return to the seats.

Saturday was particularly frustrating in this regard, with every set of the evening being interrupted for this reason. The crowd would patiently wait for others to find a seat, only to witness hundreds of people run right back to the front and flood the aisles as soon as the performances resumed.

People were not PEACH-y keen on this experience. If you know, you know.

With organisers announcing that the future of the festival could be in jeopardy if subject to more chaos, it was a relief to find that Sunday was far better controlled, and performances were not victim to such frustrating interruptions.

Performances from Cosmo’s Midnight, DMA’s, Lime Cordiale and Hayden James were standouts, with almost everyone in sight on their feet, or standing on their chairs, dancing, and singing their hearts out. Despite Winston Surfshirt and The Smith Street Band experiencing lengthy interruptions, their performances were also crowd favourites.

Tones and I naturally worked up a frenzy of dance monkeys as she performed her global smash hit of the same name and after teasing a surprise, treated the crowd to a beautiful firework display to close her set. What So Not and PNAU were the perfect closing acts for their respective nights, concluding the festival on a high.

Despite the COVID-safe layout of Yours and Owls and the chaos that followed such restrictions, the festival experience was still exciting and euphoric.

It was simultaneously a sigh of relief, and a breath of fresh air. Personally, it marked my return to live music. Experiencing the absence of concerts and festivals for 14 months, due to COVID-19, felt soul crushing. It also made me experience intense waves of gratitude throughout the entire duration of Yours and Owls. I have a feeling, judging based on the reception of the crowd, I was not the only one. It was a magical weekend, and a much-needed reminder of the power of live music.

Dua Lipa – Newtown Social Club – Sydney, Australia – 2016

April 6, 2021November 9, 2022 ~ nataliehannan ~ 2 Comments

Live music is magical and often I struggle to find the words to describe the magnitude of the moments I experience in concert venues. My experience seeing Dua Lipa live for the first-time fits into this category, and still feels surreal to this day.

On July 13^th, 2016, I witnessed a star being born. There’s no other way to describe the night.
Dua Lipa was a powerhouse from the second she stepped foot on stage, dancing and singing her heart out, until her voice was raspy as she fare welled us goodbye. The room Dua performed in was tiny, holding a capacity of approximately 100. The venue was Newtown Social Club, and unfortunately, closed a couple of years ago. I miss it and feel an immense amount of reverence towards it. It’s because of Newtown Social Club that I was able to see Dua Lipa, a now 3x Grammy award winning artist, break into the Australian music landscape. And guess how much my ticket cost. Only $40. Insanity. I still have the ticket and consider framing it every time I lay eyes on it.

With only approx. 100 people in the room, the whole gig felt intimate. There was an incredible awareness that we were the lucky few. We were seeing Dua perform live for the first time in Sydney, Australia. Little did we know, although we hoped, that it would not be the last.

At the time, “Be The One” and “Hotter Than Hell” were being added to radio rotations, slowly climbing their way up the Australian music charts. During the concert, Dua played these hits to a crowd so enthusiastic, the motion of our dancing and jumping made the floor beneath us shake. The energy was electric and our appreciation for Dua’s artistry evident, as she treated us to performances of unreleased tracks. Songs like “Blow Your Mind (Mwah)” and “Thinking ‘Bout You” that in the years to follow would take the world by storm and be featured on her self-titled album. Rarely am I fortunate enough to see an international artist perform before they’ve even released their debut album, but let me tell you, it’s one of the most incredible experiences. It intensifies the attachment you have to the artist and their music. It feels like an honour.

It may sound silly, but the experience made me proud. Proud to seemingly have great judgement and a finger on the pulse of the music industry. Proud to identify a superstar before the world knew her name. Proud to see Dua Lipa in such an intimate setting, in the humblest beginnings, before growing into a global sensation and touring arenas around the world. Proud of Dua’s talent, success, and passion.

In 2018, I was fortunate enough to meet Dua and see her live another two times – one in a setting even more intimate than the first, in a room of about 20 – and secondly, at Luna Park’s Big Top, to one of the biggest crowds she’s played to date in Australia.

But hey, they’re stories for another time…and I can’t wait to share them here on Lovers of Live.

UPDATE: I just attended my first post-COVID arena show (a huge deal for this immunosuppressed gal) AND OF COURSE IT WAS DUA LIPA!! Check out the Reel below to see the evolution of Be The One over all Dua’s years touring in Sydney. Can’t wait to write about my Future Nostalgia tour in Sydney over the next couple of days!