Allday Sides Tour Review @ The Enmore Theatre

After the release of his single “Sides” Australian hip-hop prodigy Allday (Tom Gaynor) sold out the prestigious Sydney Enmore Theatre, commencing the second leg of his largest national tour yet. His 2014 album “Startup Cult” proved to be a manifesto of Australian teenage youth, he also successfully reached #47 on the 2015 Hottest 100, and had an appearance on the legendary “Sway In The Morning”. With all this in mind, this was Gaynor’s most hyped Sydney show ever.

19 year old Wollongong singer/songwriter, Tyne James Organ, opened the music for the night with only his guitar and vocals. His performance didn’t completely match the vibe of the night however he was still able to present an engaging set, with his covers of Frank Ocean’s ‘Forrest Gump’ and DMA’S’ ‘Delete’ accompanied by significant crowd singalongs. Then came UV Boi, an artist with a sound more aligned with a hip-hop vibe. The mysterious figure excelled on the large stage with blissful 808s and crazy synthesizers captivating a young, (15 year old) teenage girl audience with a sound they had probably never experienced before. The energy of the performance did not match the energy of the crowd, however, every audience member was edging to see the symbol of Australian youth that was about to hit the stage.

Allday’s significance amongst the youth is significant in understanding his presence and aura on stage, his quirky, charismatic personality and party vibe creating an experience that no other Australian hip-hop artists present. Gaynor and his DJ Mikey Hunj made the most of the large Enmore Theatre Stage, their vibrant energy on stage being reflected by the moving crowd. There was a noteworthy amount of phones being held up and high pitched screams from the crowd whenever Allday approached the audience. Even though this was frustrating, it highlighted the extent to which the crowd are moved and influenced by the performing artist. The performance itself was overall extremely solid. Allday didn’t stumble on bars and did not at all look uncomfortable or out of place on stage. Vocally, Allday is not the strongest, but this was not detrimental to the performance, as the overall appeal of the show was in its energy and connectivity between audience and artist. The sing-alongs were constant, with substantial audience contribution during “Right Now”, “You Always Know The DJ” and “Grammy”. His new single Sides was also a crowd favourite, a great sign for any artist about to put out a body of work. Another key to the success of this show was the live edits of the traditional classics. The new and improved versions of tracks not only created more hype, but also a completely unique experience for anyone that had already seen Allday before. Not only was the show a concert experience, but the entire Enmore Theatre became one big party venue also. Allday’s constant interaction with the crowd provided an experience one like no other. Not only did he host a crowd surfing race for two lucky audience members during “Coffin”, he also encouraged every audience member to text someone they love during “Angels”. Even though in the short run this subtract audience’s focus from the performance and the music, in the long run it benefitted the show due to the intimacy and relationships that were fostered between artist and audience members.

Overall, Allday is a force to be reckoned with in the Australian music scene. The amount of influence he holds over the Australian youth is incredible, and his ability to captivate such a large audience alone on stage highlights his status as a national figurehead of Australian music.

TRACKLIST: Got It Cult Claude Monet Grammy Wolves Otto Nearly Famous Coffin Right Now 3005 Hometown Pride EOTR Sides Angels You Always Know The DJ