Justin Bieber @ Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, May 2, 2011. By Jordana Borensztajn.
If I was 15 years old, seeing Justin Bieber’s My World Tour would have gone down as one of the most exciting moments of my childhood.
The young music marvel’s impressive performance last night in Melbourne smashed any doubts I had about his ability to live up to his massive reputation.
Sure, plenty of kids can learn to dance, sing or play guitar, but what Justin Bieber displayed on stage at Rod Laver Arena demonstrated a far deeper connection to music than most people (young or old) are able to grasp.
Bieber showed an innate ability and affinity for singing and dancing and proved that at the very core of his success lies a natural flair for rhythm and an instinctive instrumental ability and rhythm. And this type of talent can’t be taught, particularly to a kid who kick-started his professional music career at the tender age of 13.
Opening with “Love Me” the crowd was going mental throughout the entire show. To be completely honest, ‘Bieber fever’ was an understatement. The vibe, electricity and chaos inside Rod Laver Arena was far more than a fleeting feeling that passes. The screams and yells were so loud and so constant it felt like Rod Laver Arena was shaking at its core. It needed to be experienced to ‘Beliebed.’
Highlight tracks included his Usher collaboration “Somebody to Love,” his hopeful documentary anthem “Never Say Never,” his early hit “U Smile,” his ballads “That Should Be Me” and “Down To Earth” and of course, his biggest track to date, “Baby.”
Bieber used his gig to push important issues like not texting and driving, karma (he told the crowd he discovered his back-up band Legacy on YouTube) and in an awesome but unexpected move, Justin Bieber introduced his inspirational song“Never Say Never” with the help of bullied Sydney teen Casey Heynes.
“I wanna ask if anyone in here has been bullied before,” Justin said to the crowd. “How many of those people have seen people get bullied?” Heynes then came out on stage and the crowd roared. "I just wanted to say, he is very inspirational," Bieber said. "He shows other people to stand up for what they believe in."
It was clear from Bieber's documentary Never Say Never that the role played by his behind-the-scenes team is huge. Last night it was obvious they’ve also helped Biebs perfect his performance skills to ensure he woos all of the little lasses in the crowd.
Whether through his singing, dancing, banter or antics, Bieber gave fans exactly what they were after. Several times throughout the gig he asked for the lights to go up and spent minutes gazing at the crowd, in every direction, pointing at fans to make them feel like he noticed them. To no surprise, this attracted wild screams and cheers.
Bieber’s team also went to great lengths to put his multi talents on display (obviously in an effort to discount the critics and prove to the world that he deserves all the hype that comes his way). In fact, Biebs jam-packed more into his 90-minute show that most mature-age artists would dare attempt. Bieber did break-dancing, he jammed out on the drums, he played piano, he played guitar, he sang ballads, he rapped, and best of all, he showed fans he can definitely bust a move through a number of meticulously choreographed songs.
One of the hardest things to wrap my head around is the impact this gig will have on all the Beliebers who witnessed him live. Before the gig, the thousands of kids at yesterday’s show were already mental with Bieber fever, fueled by his insane amount of Tweets, his constant Facebook posts, his infinite amount of YouTube videos, the immense TV and online coverage he gets and of course, more recently, Never Say Never.
Until last night, Melbourne fans hadn’t seen the Biebmeister in the flesh. What’s going to happen to the kiddies now? His stellar performance not only backed up their love for him, but My World Tour has given his fans a whole host of new experiences to hold onto and carry with them as they continue down their ‘Road to Belieb.’
While Justin’s singing wasn’t perfect, what he lacks in vocal ability he makes up for with the rest of his ‘package.’ To be honest though, the specific Bieber details aren’t the real focus here; his story is part of a much bigger picture. While people might not realise it, Justin Bieber’s My World Tour is history in the making. Biebs is a one-of-a-kind artist that’s opened up a whole new world inside the music industry. I’m glad I witnessed his performance. Like it or lump it critics, last night’s gig was an important part of music history.
The young music marvel’s impressive performance last night in Melbourne smashed any doubts I had about his ability to live up to his massive reputation.
Sure, plenty of kids can learn to dance, sing or play guitar, but what Justin Bieber displayed on stage at Rod Laver Arena demonstrated a far deeper connection to music than most people (young or old) are able to grasp.
Bieber showed an innate ability and affinity for singing and dancing and proved that at the very core of his success lies a natural flair for rhythm and an instinctive instrumental ability and rhythm. And this type of talent can’t be taught, particularly to a kid who kick-started his professional music career at the tender age of 13.
Opening with “Love Me” the crowd was going mental throughout the entire show. To be completely honest, ‘Bieber fever’ was an understatement. The vibe, electricity and chaos inside Rod Laver Arena was far more than a fleeting feeling that passes. The screams and yells were so loud and so constant it felt like Rod Laver Arena was shaking at its core. It needed to be experienced to ‘Beliebed.’
Highlight tracks included his Usher collaboration “Somebody to Love,” his hopeful documentary anthem “Never Say Never,” his early hit “U Smile,” his ballads “That Should Be Me” and “Down To Earth” and of course, his biggest track to date, “Baby.”
Bieber used his gig to push important issues like not texting and driving, karma (he told the crowd he discovered his back-up band Legacy on YouTube) and in an awesome but unexpected move, Justin Bieber introduced his inspirational song“Never Say Never” with the help of bullied Sydney teen Casey Heynes.
“I wanna ask if anyone in here has been bullied before,” Justin said to the crowd. “How many of those people have seen people get bullied?” Heynes then came out on stage and the crowd roared. "I just wanted to say, he is very inspirational," Bieber said. "He shows other people to stand up for what they believe in."
It was clear from Bieber's documentary Never Say Never that the role played by his behind-the-scenes team is huge. Last night it was obvious they’ve also helped Biebs perfect his performance skills to ensure he woos all of the little lasses in the crowd.
Whether through his singing, dancing, banter or antics, Bieber gave fans exactly what they were after. Several times throughout the gig he asked for the lights to go up and spent minutes gazing at the crowd, in every direction, pointing at fans to make them feel like he noticed them. To no surprise, this attracted wild screams and cheers.
Bieber’s team also went to great lengths to put his multi talents on display (obviously in an effort to discount the critics and prove to the world that he deserves all the hype that comes his way). In fact, Biebs jam-packed more into his 90-minute show that most mature-age artists would dare attempt. Bieber did break-dancing, he jammed out on the drums, he played piano, he played guitar, he sang ballads, he rapped, and best of all, he showed fans he can definitely bust a move through a number of meticulously choreographed songs.
One of the hardest things to wrap my head around is the impact this gig will have on all the Beliebers who witnessed him live. Before the gig, the thousands of kids at yesterday’s show were already mental with Bieber fever, fueled by his insane amount of Tweets, his constant Facebook posts, his infinite amount of YouTube videos, the immense TV and online coverage he gets and of course, more recently, Never Say Never.
Until last night, Melbourne fans hadn’t seen the Biebmeister in the flesh. What’s going to happen to the kiddies now? His stellar performance not only backed up their love for him, but My World Tour has given his fans a whole host of new experiences to hold onto and carry with them as they continue down their ‘Road to Belieb.’
While Justin’s singing wasn’t perfect, what he lacks in vocal ability he makes up for with the rest of his ‘package.’ To be honest though, the specific Bieber details aren’t the real focus here; his story is part of a much bigger picture. While people might not realise it, Justin Bieber’s My World Tour is history in the making. Biebs is a one-of-a-kind artist that’s opened up a whole new world inside the music industry. I’m glad I witnessed his performance. Like it or lump it critics, last night’s gig was an important part of music history.