Chet Faker @ BCEC Review

On Saturday night at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Chet Faker delivered the ultimate Valentine's Day show; the soul crooner saturating the crowd in bass-driven electronica that had romance blossoming everywhere.

One of the first times Chet Faker graced Brisbane with his amazing talents was at the Queensland Art Gallery, some three, four years ago. That night, Chet was much more reserved, his shyness on stage hidden by that iconic and ubiquitous beard as he tinkered away on his ivories, perched on a stage nestled inches above a water feature. It was an impressive sight.

Image © Stephen Sloggett

Yet, fast-forward to now and the reserved, almost timid on-stage Chet Faker has been replaced by a man more than comfortable within his skin, bounding around his stage like a mad professor concocting dazzling alchemy feats for his congregation's unabashed glee.

Click here for images from the Brisbane show.

With opener 'Cigarettes And Chocolate', Chet already had the sold-out Convention Centre goo-goo eyed with his liquid-hot caramel voice melting hearts and seducing souls. While a Van Morrison cover of 'Moondance' proved Chet can re-work any classic with the same aplomb he exhibited with 'No Diggity'. 'Gold' had the aisles emptying with the diehards front-and-centre, innocent faces fixed, trance-like on their idol, with handclaps filling the room with magical joy.

Image © Stephen Sloggett

At the end of each ballad Chet would run about the stage, from one instrument to the next, his face like the proverbial kid in a candy store, beaming his broad, bearded smile, before tossing his mane back and launching into his next musical project. By the time '1998' appeared in the setlist, the hand-claps were deafening above the bass that seemed like it was resonating from within you; the zombie-like swaying of the crowd hitting overdrive, while it was time for girls to appear on guys shoulders for that Mastercard moment.

Image © Stephen Sloggett

While talkative throughout, Chet did have one request on the night – aside from the multiple mentions to make-out with the person next to you - and that was for the phones to be pocketed, and to “live in the moment for this next song”. The crowd happily obliged as the first chords of 'No Diggity' rang out; it was a brilliant rendition (goosebumps were mandatory) of a song that will define Chet for as long as Farnham's 'Your The Voice' will be an anthem for another generation.

As talented as Chet is working his electronic wizardry and massaging the black & white keys, he's equally skilled on guitar, which he proved on Saturday night adding bluesy licks to a new experiment... a hint at what our chemist has been doing when he hasn't been collecting a glut of awards during the summer.

Image © Chet Faker

His Like A Version cover of '(Lover) You Don't Treat Me No Good' couldn't dull even the most loving of love-birds, as exhibited by the two lovers in the row in front of us who spent the majority of the show canoodling in the same chair; wonderful to see :)

Image © Stephen Sloggett

By the time the encore was underway, there was only one song the panting crowd wanted, and Chet didn't disappoint, as he climbed the multi-level stage to a piano perched atop the highest point; straddling the piano's seat, he slowly began playing the notes to 'Talk Is Cheap'. As the last of the ivories had rung out, and the stomach-churning bass had finally run its race, the Convention Centre's main room was filled with a crowd saturated in sexual tension.... job complete Chet; like a boss!

Click here for photos from the Brisbane show.