In a year where big, paradigm-shifting concerts for megastars like Taylor Swift and Beyonce have made headlines, it’s hard to remember that there are other big names in the world of music. Although, I wouldn’t exactly say Post Malone has been overshadowed.
The man’s latest tour has been selling out across the world, and Australia’s chance to watch him churn through his career-making hits was no exception. Yet, Sydney’s leg wasn’t without problems.
And I’m not talking about the atrocious weather: the biggest risk when you decide to host a concert in The Domain.
It’s great to see the open-air venue being used more for bigger concerts, but people should be going to these things with the right expectations. The sound is never the best at The Domain, so when the quality is even lower than the baseline things can get pretty bad.
And everyone who was at Post Malone, aside from those who paid a premium to get up the very front, would have experienced this. Songs like “Rockstar” and “Over Now” are blunted a bit when the mix isn’t quite right.
Yet, as a testament to Post’s live show, there was still plenty of value milked from the man’s set, which included a surprise appearance from The Kid LAROI and a powerful illustration of Post’s ability to express his emotions. Namely the bad ones.
Sound quality was atoned for by Post Malone’s brilliant set list, which largely ignored his latest album (which he admitted was “medium”) and favoured the songs that have really built the man into one of the most dynamic and unique pop stars of our time.
“Better Now” and “Wow” started the set with a bang and helped make the first half much stronger than the ending. That’s because Post slowed things down for a bit too long during the middle of his set, obviously wanting to dial things back for his more acoustic-led jams. But The Domain isn’t the place to do anything but party.
That said, Post Malone’s set list hasn’t really changed throughout the concert. This is why it felt like a special treat that LAROI would make an appearance, performing a new song for the first time as well as their joint collaboration “Wasting Angels.”
With the mud creating a few shallow sinkholes around the park, I was reminded that The Domain is always going to be a risk. Fortunately, such a charismatic and likeable artist is going to be worth braving the weather for no matter what.
For all photos from the concert head on over to our Post Malone gallery.
