Sam Smith. Photo / Daniel Boud
Mere hours after announcing their New Zealand and Australian tour, UK artist Sam Smith performed to an intimate 200-person crowd and left them begging for more.
Hidden away at the South Australian Vineyard, d’Arenberg Cube, was a stage that couldn’t have been more perfect for the soulful singer. Placed directly in between rows of grape vines and in front of the architecturally designed “cube”, Smith welcomed fans to their first show in Australia since 2018.
Wearing a black ensemble complete with an eye-catching sparkly top, the four-time Grammy winner took a moment to admire the crowd before launching into an acoustic rendition of the beloved break-up ballad, Stay With Me.
“It’s so good to be back after so long. Look at these beautiful faces. I’m going to be staring at you all night long,” Smith said, earning an excited reaction from the crowd.
But the conversation didn’t last long and soon, they began singing another of their hit songs I’m Not The Only One.
It was an impeccable set list choice as the crowd sang back enthusiastically almost drowning out Smith’s angelic voice. But did the singer care? Quite the contrary: “I’ve missed that sound.” They smiled.
Gloria may be their self-proclaimed “diva” album but Smith is anything but and the intimate show was a reminder of their humble approach to fame.
Interacting with the crowd in between every song, the non-binary artist placed the importance of the night on their fans. A classic example was when they cut short their water break when someone yelled “I love you” and they ran back to their microphone to yell it straight back.
As the sun slowly set in the South Australian sky, Smith continued to play their chart-topping hits such as Like I Can, Too Good At Goodbyes and How Do You Sleep?
And when the sunset was at its colourful peak with pink, orange and subtle hues of purple dancing in the sky, Smith played their self-love ballad Love Me More.
Introducing the song, Smith noted that they wanted to release the song as the first single on their upcoming album because they are feeling a “little happier now” after three albums of “heartache and self-indulgence” but they still experience moments of sadness.
Noting why the song is so important to them, Smith tells the intimate audience: “I’m good, I’m feeling good, I’m feeling joyful. I’m not that happy all the time, every day there’s a bit of a struggle sometimes and so I wanted to write an honest song about that”.
After playing the song that debuted at number five on the New Zealand charts last year, the singer told the audience it was time to “sexy” things up a bit and launched into an acoustic version of their number one single, Unholy.
Having been in the game since 2014 it’s no surprise Smith is more than at home on a stage regardless of the size and location but it isn’t until you see them perform in person you release how the stage was quite literally made for them.
Could their life have gone in a completely different direction? Could they have been anything other than a singer-songwriter? Of course, there are always options.
But would any career suit them as well as this one? It’s unlikely. Some people are just made for this life and Smith is one of them.
So, if you’re thinking of buying tickets to the beloved singer’s Auckland show on November 11 next year, you will not regret it.
Between their breathtaking vocals and sweetheart persona, you can’t help but leave a show feeling a little bit more in love with the world.