The one they want: Justin Bieber thrills the teen set at Rod Laver Arena last night. Picture: Ben Swinnerton Source: Herald Sun
EVERY night, Justin Bieber must go to bed with ringing in his ears.
Nothing to do with the music at his concerts, just collateral damage from the piercing sound of the teenage scream.And scream the young girls did at last night's sold-out Rod Laver Arena show. Scream with an eardrum-splitting intensity that has translated into dollar signs for Team Bieber - girls in their $50 Bieber T-shirts waving their $10 Bieber glowsticks because security confiscated any homemade Bieber signs or posters (aside from a few rogue ones smuggled in) lest they block anyone's view.
No problems there. A huge screen was the biggest part of his modest production, showing constant and crucial close-ups of his face, plus baby pics from back in the day - ie., the '90s.
Yes, he's the latest unthreatening, safe teen sensation with an extra ingredient to most - he's a budding musician.
Indeed, the moments when Bieber played guitar or piano or drums were the most spontaneous and effective - and the times you could tell he was actually singing live.
During the choreographed songs, the teen's voice sounded suspiciously like his records.
Not that his fans cared. Bieber's songs are for the teenage demographic - lots of lyrics about lonely girls and love. It's refreshing not to hear songs about bondage and S&M being marketed to teens.
Bieber also used his concert to tell his audience not to text and drive and gave an anti-bullying message by getting school fightback hero Casey Heynes up on stage - like Bieber, Heynes was discovered on YouTube. As were Bieber's backing singers, Legacy.
While the mandatory banter about pretty girls and single ladies hit their mark, Bieber getting a girl on stage for One Less Lonely Girl was strangely anti-climactic - he barely engaged with her. It was more Bieber Sniffle than full-blown Bieber Fever.
The teen plays to another 13,000 true Beliebers and their freshly hearing-impaired parents at Rod Laver Arena tonight.