Sam Smith
2nd November 2018
Spark Arena, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Lauren Sanderson. Photography by Chris Zwaagdyk.
British Pop legend Sam Smith took over Spark Arena last night for his The Thrill of it all tour and let’s just say it was a night to remember.
Walking into the arena, thousands of people were waiting in anticipation for Smith to hit the stage after being entertained by the Australian singer/songwriter Gordi. There was no general admission standing area tonight, this was a fully seated affair which was extremely refreshing as you could sit back and take in the beautiful sound of Sam Smith if you wanted. Of course, being seated didn’t stop the crowd from dancing, for the majority of the evening we were up on our feet having, what felt like a dance class with Smith as he fed us instructions and of course we obeyed!
‘One last song’s’ sweet melodies filled the arena and was a lovely reminder of the incredible vocal range that Smith possesses. He paused for a moment to say “I fucking love you Auckland”, expressing how grateful he was that we were part of his 90th show. For someone of such fame, the great thing about Smith is that he remains humble and thanks the crowd many times for supporting him and his music.
It’s hard to imagine thousands of people cheering so loudly for songs about heartache and breakup’s, but his songs are extremely relatable and people connect with them. Smith addresses the fact that his songs are so sad, he jokes “I realise how depressing my songs are, I don’t want anyone to leave here feeling like shit, so I’m going to make sure that everyone leaves here feeling great and happy.” And that’s exactly what he did, it’s safe to say his mission was accomplished.
Smith is not only a master of his trade but he is a born showman, his calm demeanour rubs off on the crowd as we sit eagerly and listen to his stories. ‘Lay me down’ was next, a song that completely changed Smith’s life and was the first song to make it on his first album.
The atmosphere shifted as the crowd sprung from their seats when the catchy tempo of ‘Omen’ started to play. Smith demonstrated that he can not only do power ballads but also fun up-beat pop tracks too. It’s always a pleasure to watch an artist who thrives from what they do, and Smith surrounded by his backing singers was having just as good a time as the crowd. Even the stage setup was simple yet amazing, It was almost like a set piece from a sci-fi film, which projected different colours and shapes for different tracks. A triangular platform jutted out into the center of the crowd, Smith would use this as a gateway to leave and re-enter the stage.
Smith made a dramatic James Bond entrance for the award-winning ‘The Writing’s on the Wall’ track. Whilst the stripped back version of ‘Latch’ saw the crowd unite and raise their phones in the air to reveal an ocean of light. ‘Like I Can’ brought some retro fun to the stage with a keytar player, while ‘Restart’, had both the band and the crowd two-stepping to his rendition of Luther Vandross & Janet Jackson’s – ‘The Best Things In Life Are Free’.
Smith took a moment to show his appreciation for his band and his backing singers, all of whom were equally as talented as Smith. Their vocal’s complimented Smith’s, whilst the band added something extra special to the stripped back show.
‘Love you like I can’ was up next, which he dedicated to a little boy called Leon who requested the song on the radio. Smith raised his hands and shouted “Love is Love – I am a proud gay man. If you’re proud of who you are put your hands in the air.” To which, we did just that and smiles filled the arena as the song ended with an array of rainbow lights.
The newest addition to Smith’s song collection was ‘Promises’, which had the crowd up on their feet, dancing from beginning to end. Smith delivered sass and even shared his vogueing with us. ‘Too good at goodbye’s’ was the last song before Smith waved us goodbye, but of course this wasn’t goodbye as after an almighty encore from the crowd, he returned to sing classic ‘Stay with Me’ – an explosion of red confetti filled the air as the track drew to a close.
As Smith thanks us again and says goodbye, he says “Thank you Auckland, it’s the best show we have done on tour!” and the crowd let out screams of joy! What could easily have been a night of heart ache turned out to be an evening of pure delight! And I think it’s our turn to thank you Sam Smith … for a night of pure excellence.
Until next time…
Were you there at Spark Arena for this mind blowing pop show? Or have you seen Sam Smith perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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He was incredible !
I took my daughter and we have seen Ed Sheeran and Pink also this year. They were brilliant but this was just the best one for us.
Can only put Adele on the same level from last year.
We were in heaven. Great seats great views slightly above and opposite the stage. Interestingly bought as soon as they were on sale but not VIP, a shame to hear of others experience with those.
Best experience and Spark Arena was simply a great venue.
We will make the trip up from Queenstown again as it’s just a much more pleasant and intimate experience than Forsyth Barr being a smaller venue.
It’s great for rugby though.
Sam Smith has made a huge impression on us. He and his band created one of the best experiences of my life x
So grateful to have seen him.
Pure joy.
Excited that we were on the first night which he said was one of his best nights on stage ever xxx
Happiest crowd I’ve been in 🙂
Determined to see him again !
His music just gets better and better like a fine wine …
Hi my name is Lee – the Sam Smith show in Auckland was amazing, but my disappointment was I Paid $more than $800 for 2 VIP tickets direct from TicketMaster Auckland. We had purchased front row reserved tickets.
A month prior to the show I got an email from Ticketmaster saying that we have been relocated to another seat due to changes by the organiser.
We were very very disappointed as we were seated on the side stage – right front, and friends purchased tickets for &180 and say 4 rows behind us.
Not happy at all with Ticketmaster ☹️
Hi Lee, yes I felt the same. Bought the VIP package at over $800.00 for two seats expecting more premium attention but ended up with very little to show for it, if not worse off. I will never buy VIP package again. Felt quite cheated and ripped off.
Oh my god, what a show! Wasn’t really sure that I was going to enjoy it as I thought Sam might be slightly boring to watch, even though his songs and voice are amazing, however he was awesome! An incredible energy filled Spark Arena and Sam delivered with such enthusiasm, love and authenticity. WOW, so glad my daughter and I decided to go! What a voice!
Amazing atmosphere at sams concert😁
was a fantastic concert , one of the best I have ever been to but gutted that Paloma Faith was a no show
she is my favourite female singer currently and i was looking forward to her as much as Sam
But Sam you brought it – great job you and your support band
Great review. I was at the Saturday show. Sam Smith – what an amazing man and show. He had the crowd eating out of his hand all night. Every song was sung by the crowd as well and he encouraged lots of participation. I have never been to a concert where the crowd went wild so many times particularly at after the song “Too good at goodbyes”. The roar went on for 3-4 minutes before Sam reappeared. He commented that the 2 concerts in Auckland where the best 2 shows he has ever experienced and he thanked us for that. If you did not go then you missed the best concert i have ever been too. His songs are so personal and he is a gay icon. He is a role model for us gay men. I wish i had his talent. Thank you Sam for an amazing awesome night. Wonderful experience.
I was at the Spark Arena for Sam Smith in the VIP seats on Friday night and your review Lauren is so accurate says it all. Sam Smith is no doubt a beautiful person with a voice to match along with being stylish and charming. I have never heard a crowd sing and react as one like that. They knew word for word his well written and poignant song lyrics and his ways of expression. If he loved us, we loved him more. He cannot be emulated.
The Sam Smith concert was a birthday present to me from my Granddaughter, my Daughter and Granddaughter attended, we had the most fabulous night, Sam we love you – three generations of women think you are great !
Great review! Looking forward to seeing his show tonight. Do you remember what time he came on stage?
It was 9pm by the time he came out!
What time did the concert end?
Sam Smith’s authenticity and genuine humbleness made last night such an amazing and beautiful experience. I’m a heterosexual male and I fucken loved it. Thanks Sam…more than words can Express. Cher 😁
A great review of a tot-awesome show.