Review by Kristie Nicolas
Photo courtesy Peter Dovgan
A double billing doesn’t happen very often here in Australia, let alone in the often neglected genre of R&B. but this past Wednesday, at Allphones Arena that’s just what Sydney-siders were treated to. They turned up in droves to see R&B darling Alicia Keys perform, along with special guest John Legend on the Set The World On Fire tour.

Legend took to the stage as the crowd was streaming in for the show. For many artists this could very well throw them off. But Legend seemed to take this as a challenge. And boy, did he rise to the task. Opening with the percussive, electronic styling of ‘Made To Love’, from his latest album, Love In The Future, Legend and his band came out in fine form. They remained that way through out, not swayed even for a moment by the bright lights on the audience. Legend gave a spirited and high energy performance, supported by his band and stunning backing vocalists, who almost stole the show with their sassy choreographed moves and vocals. While Legend proved a more than competent show man, it was in the stripped down moments that he really shone. Sitting at the grand piano that adorned the centre of the stage, Legend gave the audience a lesson in heartfelt crooning. Whether covering Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing In The Dark”, tear-jerker “Ordinary People” or the current number one song in the country, “All Of Me”, Legend’s performance was pure perfection.
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