Billy Ray Cyrus is the definition of a one-hit wonder, but he has managed to continue to tour the world and it appears to be down to charisma… and hair.
The crowd was smaller than expected (25 March) but very eager, standing close to the stage waiting for Cyrus to come on. But to accommodate the diverse audience, half the space was set-up with seating which many people appreciated.Running a little behind start time, Derek Jones was sent out to warm up the crowd. His voice was strong and reminiscent of Jimmy Barnes, and he had a affable, amiable stage presence. You could just tell he was a good guy.
And then Billy Ray came on wearing all black, with his long hair, a cowboy hat pulled low and a scarf draped down around his neck.
The crowd went wild. And he broke into a huge grin, white teeth gleaming in his tanned face. And he pushed that long, luscious hair out of his face and he strummed his guitar.
Then he played, and his voice was surprisingly good. Low, deep, raspy, soothing. But the music came second; the focus seemed to be more on chatting to the crowd, telling stories, sharing moments from past tours, winking at women in the crowd.
On one hand, that made it feel intimate and like we were watching a group of friends jam at their house. On the other hand, it almost felt like he was trying to distract us enough to avoid anyone requesting ‘Achy Breaky Heart’ (which happened later anyway).
He ran through a list of his songs, from various albums and they ranged from slow-rolling ballads to high-tempo bluegrass classics. And surrounded by his merry band of six, the sound was full, rich and layered.
But you could tell that everyone was waiting for his hit. And just as everyone must have been thinking he may not even play it, a woman jumped on stage to demand it. Asking for her autistic friend who had been waiting all night to hear it. She was drunk, but sweet and said what everyone was thinking. And then was escorted off stage very briskly.
So then he played it. And the crowd went crazy, everyone got up to dance and Cyrus went on autopilot. Which is understandable after thinking about how many times he must’ve played that song.
But he gave the people what they came for, they loved it and he said that he’s be back to stay for longer next time. Maybe even play in the house band at the hotel, which would probably make a lot of ladies very happy.
