The show opened with a DJ set from Synthony’s musical director, Dick Johnson, followed by solo opening act Harper Finn. While more ballad-driven and contemplative in parts than the rest of the night, Finn is a captivating stage presence, even when it was just him and his three-piece band, and ending with his 2020 single, Dance Away These Days, was a neat segue into the next act.
Drag DJ duo Meann Gurls - consisting of Drag Race Down Under winner Kita Mean and Scary B. Mean - followed, taking to the stage in matching pink outfits and glowing headpieces, and truly got the party started during the show’s second hour with a seamless blend of remixes that set the tone for the rest of the night.
By the time Synthony itself started at 9pm, the arena was pumping and the audience was fully prepped. It was a diverse crowd that embraced the Pride theme in varied ways, though early on at least the audience was awash with rainbow, neon and whatever light-up adornments they could fit on their bodies.
It was a festive mood that matched the energy delivered by Synthony. Conducted by Sarah-Grace Williams, for nearly two hours the Auckland Philharmonia delivered sublime renditions of some of the most classic pop songs of this century, with the lyrics brought to life by a talented mix of vocalists.
Harper Finn returned for a haunting take on Kylie Minogue’s Can’t Get You Out of My Head, while Boh Runga was a clear standout on her numbers, with Lady Gaga’s Born This Way an easy standout for one of the night’s best. Australian singer Cassie McIvor was a recurring presence during the night, and often sold the most orchestral reimaginings, with a rendition of Donna Summer’s I Feel Love early in the evening reverberating through the night.
A cavalcade of the country’s top drag performers - Anita Wigl’it, Buckwheat, Tess Tickle, Hugo Grrl, Miss Geena and Rita Menu - were among the backing dancers throughout the show’s big numbers, but got the chance to shine near the end in a cancan number done in tribute to the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. It was one of the more purely entertaining moments of the night, and any future Synthony Pride would be well served by putting these talented performers front and centre.
Other dancers popped up during the night, bringing a touch of the voguing scene to the show. It was a great get from organisers to spotlight these talented dancers who rarely get seen by the mainstream. Spark Arena is a large space, though, and from near the back the dancing was at times hard to see. Three large screens over the performers intended to help with this, but tight square framing meant the focus was often limited to one person.
Synthony’s setlist pulled from across the decades, but aside from a brief reference to Beyonce’s Renaissance album, the show relied on broad, classic favourites, and lacked in more recent hits from the past 10 years. In a year when gay-friendly artists such as Charli XCX and Chappel Roan have dominated the cultural conversation, the commission of more from this decade did give the night a slightly dated feel, and sticking to familiar Synthony favourites - in particular, playing Darude’s Sandstorm near the end, not particularly known as a pride classic - felt out of place, too.
First shows are for working out what works and what doesn’t though, and Saturday night delivered clear wins for this debut Pride theme that will undoubtedly be built upon for future shows. And as Scary B. Mean noted near the end, with LGBT+ rights under attack globally, a celebration of Pride such as this remains necessary, and on that front, Synthony more than succeeded. Every vocalist and musician who graced that stage was at the top of their game and were captivating to watch, and a more modern setlist and cleaner focus on the dancers and performers will ensure the next event thrives.
Synthony Pride was at Spark Arena on Saturday. Reviewed by Ethan Sills.
